Met. Herman Completes First Official Visit to Autonomous Church of Finland
Al
Church of Finland
http://www.oca.org/pages/news/news.asp?ID=709
SYOSSET, NY [OCA Communications] - At the invitation of His Eminence,
Archbishop Leo of Karelia and All Finland, His Beatitude, Metropolitan
Herman made his first official visit to the autonomous Orthodox Church of
Finland December 8-13, 2004.
Accompanying Metropolitan Herman were His Eminence, Archbishop Nathaniel of
Detroit and the Romanian Episcopate; His Grace, Bishop Seraphim of Ottawa
and Canada; His Grace, Bishop Nikon of Boston and the Albanian Archdiocese;
Protopresbyter Robert Kondratick, OCA chancellor; and the Very Rev. Leonid
Kishkovsky, assistant to the chancellor for external affairs; and a support
staff.
The Orthodox Church of Finland, an autonomous Church within the Ecumenical
Patriachate of Constantinople, has always maintained a close relationship
with the Orthodox Church in America. It shares a common heritage centered
around Karelia, which straddles the Finnish-Russian border, the home of
Saint Herman of Alaska, one of the first group of missionaries who brought
the Orthodox Faith to North America in 1794. The Orthodox Church of Finland
is one of the country's two official state religions and enjoys
prerogatives akin to those given the dominant Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Metropolitan Herman, the hierarchs, and members of the delegation were
welcomed by Archbishop Leo, His Eminence, Metropolitan Ambrosius of
Helsinki, and other dignitaries of the Finnish Orthodox Church at
Helsinki-Vantaa Airport on Wednesday, December 8. The following day, they
visited Saint John the Theologian Orthodox Theological Seminary in Joensuu,
in the east central part of the country. The seminary's Rector, the Very
Rev. Rauno Pietarinen, a graduate of Saint Vladimir's Seminary, Crestwood,
NY, welcomed Metropolitan Herman as he entered the school's chapel for the
celebration of a Service of Thanksgiving. Following the service,
Metropolitan Herman delivered a lecture to the students on theological
education in the OCA. He traced the history and mission of the OCA's
seminaries and noted similarities in the life of the Church in North
America and Finland. Before leaving the seminary to visit the Orthodox
Theological Department at Joensuu University, Metropolitan Herman presented
Father Pietarinen with the Order of Saint Innocent, Bronze Class.
Prof. Teuro Pohjolainen, university vice-rector, and Prof. Petri Piiroinen,
Orthodox faculty member, welcomed Metropolitan Herman at the Theological
Department and briefed him and members of his entourage on the various
graduate level courses in Orthodox theology offered by the school. A
luncheon followed at the seminary.
Later the same day, Metropolitan Herman, the hierarchs, and members of the
delegation visited Joensuu's picturesque Saint Nicholas Church. Built of
wood, the church is reminiscent of many built in the 19th century in
Alaska. The Rev. Kalevi Kokkonen, rector, and many faithful welcomed
Metropolitan Herman prior to the celebration of a service of Thanksgiving.
During a reception that followed, Metropolitan Herman traced the common
historic bonds shared by the Churches in Finland and America, while Father
Kishkovsky discussed the Churches' work in the field of ecumenism.
In the evening, Archimandrite Sergei, abbot of the New Valamo Monastery,
welcomed Metropolitan Herman in the monastery church for the celebration of
Vespers. Built in 1977, the church is modeled after churches in the Pskov
region of northern Russia. The monastery, as its name indicates, was
founded by monks who fled Russia's Valaam Monastery at the outset of World
War II. The monastery had been heavily damaged, yet the monks were able to
salvage numerous icons, relics, and other ecclesiastical items now used or
on display in New Valamo. Well known throughout Scandinavia, New Valamo
attracts a large number of pilgrims and tourists. The Orthodox Lay Academy
on the monastery grounds has been the site of numerous international and
regional conferences and seminars on a variety of topics and offers a
variety of courses, from theology and Church history to icon painting and
restoration and vestment making. The monastery's library is housed in a
separate building and contains tens of thousands of books and historic
documents, including letters written by Saint Herman of Alaska.
Metropolitan Herman and his entourage began Tuesday, December 10 with a
comprehensive tour of the monastery grounds; the academy's iconography,
restoration, metal workshops; and the museum, in which many precious items
from Valaam Monastery and elsewhere are on display. They also prayed at the
grave of His Eminence, Archbishop Paul, in the monastery cemetery. The
Archbishop, who participated in the canonization of Saint Herman of Alaska
in 1970, is well known for his classic book, "The Faith We Hold."
The same day, Metropolitan Herman, the hierarchs, and members of the OCA
delegation visited the neighboring Lintula Women's Monastery, where they
celebrated a Service of Thanksgiving and were offered a warm welcome by
Mother Marina, abbess, and Archimandrite Herman. At the monastery they
toured the candle factory and grounds and shared a meal with the sisterhood.
In Kuopio, Metropolitan Herman and his entourage were hosted at the
residence of Archbishop Leo. They also visited the Church of Saint John the
Theologian and the Enlighteners of Karelia and the Orthodox Church Museum,
where they were given a comprehensive tour by Veli Matti Sormunen. The
museum boasts an immense collection of icons and other ecclesiastical items
from around the world and organizes special exhibitions. The current
exhibition features many of the 20,000 Christmas cards from around the
world received and saved over the years by Archbishop Leo.
On Saturday, December 11, Metropolitan Herman, the hierarchs, and members
of the OCA delegation prayed in Archbishop Leo's Cathedral of Saint
Nicholas and enjoyed the hospitality of the parishioners at their annual
Christmas bazaar. Following a Service of Thanksgiving, Metropolitan Herman
was interviewed by the media and the joined the parishioners for tea and
traditional Finnish fare.
Returning to Helsinki, Metropolitan Herman, the hierarchs, and clergy
members of the delegation concelebrated the Divine Liturgy with Archbishop
Leo in Helsinki's historic Dormition Cathedral. The classic 19th century
Russian Gothic style cathedral was built on a bluff overlooking Helsinki's
harbor when the city served as a provincial capital of the Russian Empire.
Together with the Lutheran cathedral, which dominates the other end of the
bluff, Dormition Cathedral is the predominant landmark in the city's
skyline. Metropolitan Herman was welcomed to the cathedral by the Very Rev.
Veikko Purmonen, dean, and area clergy. A reception followed in the
cathedral hall.
Later the same day, Metropolitan Herman and his entourage visited the
Church of the Ascension of Christ in suburban Vantaa, where they were
welcomed by the Rev. Raimo Huttu, rector.
The following day, on the Feast of Saint Herman of Alaska, the Liturgy was
celebrated in the recently constructed Saint Herman of Alaska Church in
suburban Espoo. The interior of the church is frescoed in classic Byzantine
style and features the images of the saints of North America. Metropolitan
Herman and his entourage were welcomed to the church by the Very Rev.
Heikki Huttunen, rector. Among those attending the Liturgy were a group of
students from the English School of Helsinki, who sang portions of the
Liturgy in English.
That afternoon, Metropolitan Herman was received by Mr. Paavo Lipponen,
Speaker of the Finnish Parliament, with whom he discussed the strong ties
between the Orthodox Churches of Finland and America. During his visit,
Metropolitan Herman was also received by His Excellency, Earle I. Mack, US
Ambassador to Finland, and Deputy Ambassador Robert Weisberg at the US
Embassy. He also met with Archbishop Dr. Jukka Paarma, Presiding Bishop of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, where he was briefed on the
relationship between the two state churches.
Metropolitan Herman's visit was one of a series to the world's sister
Orthodox Churches made since his election as Primate of the Orthodox Church
in America in July 2002. To date, he has made similar official visits to
the autocephalous Churches of Constantinople, Russia, Georgia, Poland, and
the Czech Lands and Slovakia, and the autonomous Orthodox Church of
Ukraine. He has received invitations to visit several other Churches in the
future.
Click here
http://www.oca.org/pages/events/2004/12.December/1208finland/mainindex.html
or http://tinyurl.com/3zfec
for photos from the official visit of Metropolitan Herman to the Orthodox
Church of Finland.
Digim...@starpower.net
special.
AGG
sick OCA priest and his family who had their OCA medical insurance cancelled
by the holy ones at Syosset!
Al
<Digim...@starpower.net> wrote in message
news:1103613080....@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
Digim...@starpower.net
Free trips for his buddies...must be nice.