Virginia Day 1

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Just a short post. We arrived about 8pm very long day but a very nice drive and I was able to get myself in the right spiritual space. Stopped off in Scranton, PA and had a nice visit with ,y classmate Fr. Christopher. He is a Melkite priest there and I have not seen him in a while so it was nice to see him and catch up.
Met with the rest of the team at diner and we will meet again tomorrow morning for another planning session. We meet with the students tomorrow night at 7pm for a trisagion service and then a needs assessment to see where we go from here.
Finally got on the Internet so that is why this post is so late. It is almost midnight here so I am off to get a few hours sleep before the day begins. Keep praying.

Off to Virginia

Posted on by Fr. Peter
I am all packed and waiting for my ride to arrive. As I mentioned in a previous post, I am off to Virginia Tech to meet with the Orthodox Christian Fellowship and try and help them begin the healing process. Although I have dine this kind of work before, and it seems to be my specialty, this will be the hardest one yet. The students return to school today after a few days off and what they really need is to just get back. As cold as that seems that is the best medicine. That is not to say that they should forget, never, but the best way to honor those slain is to continue classes and graduation and for them to be the best citizens that they can be.
I plan to blog while I am on this journey, more to be able to put words to my thoughts than anything else. I face a 10 hour drive so this maybe my last post today. Perhaps I will post again tonight before bed.
Keep me and my team in your prayers please that we can be used as God’s instrument. Fr. Mychal Judge late chaplain of the FDNY used this prayer often and I quote it here. This will be my prayer this week.

Lord, take me where you want me to go;
Let me meet who you want me to meet;
Tell me what you want me to say
And keep me out of your way.

Sunday of the Myrrbearers

Posted on by Fr. Peter

Acts 6:1-7
Mark 15:43-47

Well I recorded the homily for today right in the church and I think the sound quality is pretty good. I solicit your comments for sounds quality purposes only, I know the content is great so no need to comment on that. Sit back and enjoy.

Saturday

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Today is a beautiful day here in New England. I think Spring has finally arrived. Lot’s to do today. I will be going outside for a little while to do some work on the church grounds. Although we have someone who keeps the lawn cut, I like to do the work around the church, take care of the flower beds, and such things like that. It is a great time to meditate and think about things. Get your hands in the earth and participate in the process of growing stuff. I do not have a green thumb, but I manage to do okay.
Work needs to be done on my homily for tomorrow, and I am going to try to record it and post it so all can listen. This will be a trial recording and I will solicit comments on the quality of the sound and not necessarily on the content… Okay maybe.
I also need to go out to the campsite and check on any damage from the winter. Boy this will be a full day.
Off to pray!

Tag

Posted on by Fr. Peter

Huw has taged me with Six Wierd Things meme, so here they are:

1. I play the clarinette
2. I love bagpipe music
3. I wear a kilt
4. I used to collect elephants
5. My Favorite Author is WEB Giriffin
6. I own 2 trailers

Posted on by Fr. Peter
Message of His Eminence Archbishop Nicolae
regarding the tragedy at Virginia Tech University

Most Reverend Fathers,
Beloved Faithful,

Christ is Risen!

This past week we have witnessed the unspeakable tragedy taking place on the campus of Virginia Tech. The peace of this place was suddenly and violently changed forever. We mourn for those who have been taken away from us, and we share our compassion with their families and friends as they are trying to understand why this did happen. We keep in our prayers Professor Liviu Librescu, of Romanian origin, who voluntarily gave up his life for the love and the welfare of his students. During such difficult moments we often turn to God in prayer, and as we do, I ask each one of you to pray for the victims of this tragedy and for all of their families, as this will be a long process of recovery.

Please join me and the entire Archdiocese as we offer our prayer, and as we express our most sincere sympathy to the Virginia Tech Community. We pray during this time of the Resurrection that those whose life was taken away, may rest in a place of light, in a place of green pastures, in a place of rest from where pain, sorrow and sighing have been taken away.

Your brother in prayer to God,
† NICOLAE

Virginia Teach

Posted on by Fr. Peter
As reported on Fr. Greg’s Blog, I am off to Virginia on Monday to help with Crisis Counseling. I am being deployed by the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) as part of a frontline team. Three of us will be in Blackburgh along with the Executive Director of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF) the Orthodox Church Campus Ministry Program.
The hope is to meet with the students at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Roanoke, Virginia each evening and then meet on campus with students during the day. I will be on the ground until Friday. I hope to be able to blog while on the road for both information and also to help me process some of the feelings that will come up during my time there.
Please pray for me and the rest of my team as we travel and minister.

Mass. to observe statewide day of mourning for Va. Tech victims

Posted on by Fr. Peter
April 19, 2007
BOSTON –Gov. Deval Patrick declared Friday as a statewide day of mourning for the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings, coordinating with a similar observance in Virginia.

The dead included a student from Massachusetts.

Patrick called for a moment of silence at noon, and asked that bells in churches and public institutions be tolled. He said Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine asked fellow governors to join the initiative.
Virginia Tech gunman Cho Seung-Hui shot 32 people to death and committed suicide Monday in the deadliest one-man shooting rampage in modern U.S. history. Among those killed was Ross Alameddine, 20, of Saugus, a Virginia Tech sophomore.
“No one wants to get the call that families of the Virginia Tech victims got this week,” Patrick said in a statement accompanying his declaration on Thursday. “What happened on that campus was an unspeakable tragedy and our thoughts and prayers are with all those touched by it.”

from www.Boston.com

Heroes

Posted on by Fr. Peter

The stories of heroes are beginning to come out of the tragedy in Virginia. One of those is Romanian Born Dr. Liviu Librescu. This is the Holocaust survivor that put himself between the gunman and his students to give them time to get away. How awesome is that? The thing that strikes me most about this is that he survived the Holocaust and was gunned down at a US University.

May His Memory Be Eternal!
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