Church Attendance Up for Holy Week Across the Country

Published by The National Herald, April 29, 2005

Greek Orthodox congregations observed Holy Week across the United this past week States, during what some Church and community leaders have described as the largest Easter turnout in recent years, a bright spot amidst a steady decline in Church attendance.

The Greek Orthodox Church practices some of its most reverent customs and chants its most deeply religious hymns during the Easter period, thus reflecting the exceptional resonance Christ’s Passion and Resurrection has in the Christian Orthodox tradition.

The Pittsburgh community observed Pascha reverently last week, despite living in a country where the Orthodox Easter is not a holiday, according to His Eminence Metropolitan Maximos of Pittsburgh.

"It is hard for our faithful to observe morning services throughout the week as they can not leave their work and in the evening can not stay up too late," Metropolitan Maximos told the National Herald, stressing the dedication of the members of his parishes, saying that every Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Holy & Great Saturday, the churches in the Metropolis of Pittsburgh are full. According to Maximos, the Pittsburgh Metropolis numbers 52 parish communities with a total of 60,000 registered members.

But for every registered member, he added, "there are two who are not registered. I have not seen a decline in attendance and don’t want to be a prophet of doom, but this past Palm Sunday, the Annunciation Cathedral in Columbus, Ohio, where I go every year, was literally packed. Our Christians come, and they bring their children with them." That’s not usually the case during the regular course of the year, of course.

Maximos pointed out, however, that in spite of the uniqueness of Orthodox Easter traditions and the deep religious symbolism of Holy Week, the emphasis is on the Resurrection, not the Passion.

In the hands of a Greek Orthodox storyteller, he said, Mel Gibson’s blockbuster film, "The Passion," would have saved more than its closing moment to indicate what Orthodoxy will celebrate so fervently on Great Saturday. "The purpose is not to be on the Cross, as is the case in the West," he said. "We stress the Resurrection."

One of the Metropolitan’s favorite Holy Week Hymns is the Akolouthia tou Nymphiou (Hymn of the Bridegroom), which expresses a profound meaning for humanity’s relationship with the Divine.

"Our life’s purpose is theosis (deification). We consider man as a triptych containing spirit, soul and body. The reasoning soul is what separates us from animals and allows us to accept God, but as this Hymn and the Sacrament of Holy Unction show, one has to heal oneself as a complete human being, in body, spirit and soul. Our life’s purpose and essence is to be in constant communion with God."

In New England, the Greek American faithful flooded Churches while keeping up with the traditional custom of ichtheofagia (eating fish), a custom meant to reflect Christian tradition and history. The word ichthys, ΙΧΘΥΣ - fish in Greek - was an early symbol of recognition for persecuted Christians, as its initials stand for Ιησούς Χριστός Θεού Υιός Σωτήρ (Jesus Christ God’s Son Savior).

On Palm Sunday, Metropolitan Methodios of Boston presided over services at Saint George Church in Springfield, Massachusetts and the Taxiarhae (Archangels) Church in Watertown.

"It’s so very moving to watch entire families come to Church and praise God together," he told the National Herald.

The Annunciation Cathedral in Boston was also a meeting place for community worshippers. "We have by far exceeded last year’s excellent attendance," said Father George Daskalakis. "This year was the best we’ve ever had," agreed Father Nicholas Kastanas of Saint Athanasios Church in Arlington, rejecting the notion that Greek Americans have been affected by the recent Church scandals in Greece. Also packed were the Assumption Church in Dracut and St. Nektarios Church in Roslindale, where community members held ichtheofagia dinners. "People stood on the aisles," said Nektarios Parish Council President Stelios Koutounides. "Thank God our people have shown their true faith," added Archimandrite Makarios Niakaros.

"Congregations get smaller and smaller," argued Constantine Sykas, president of the Holy Cross Church in Brooklyn’s parish council. The community was expected to hold its traditional procession of the Epitaphion (Christ’s tomb) from 84th to 86th Streets on Third Avenue. Board member Demetrios Ladis said attendance could have been higher, but Community Legal Counsel Timoleon Costopoulos said religious sentiment has enjoyed its typical fervor. Father George Passias, community pastor, confirmed that the Church was "packed on Palm Sunday," adding that the presence of Greek youth was particularly prevalent this year. "Modern problems and concerns have brought our people closer to God," he said.

Holy Week is the story of Christ’s last days on Earth (physically) told in words, music and religious processions. Its observances are preceded by the Saturday of Lazarus, which celebrates the Christ’s raising of St. Lazarus from the dead, and Palm Sunday, which celebrating Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Holy Week started officially with the morning prayers of Holy Monday. On the same evening, Orthodox faithful observe the Hymn of the Bridegroom: "Behold the Bridegroom cometh in the midst of the night - " then the procession of the icon of the Christ the Bridegroom around the church.

Holy Tuesday commemorates the parables of the Ten Virgins and the Talents, and Holy Wednesday the anointing of Christ with myrrh by the woman in the house of Simon the leper in Bethany.

On Holy Wednesday, congregations hear the "Hymn of Cassiane," a masterpiece of Byzantine hymnography based on the story in St. Luke's Gospel about a sinful woman, followed by the Sacrament of the Holy Unction, during which the priest anoints the congregation with blessed oil, preparing the faithful to receive Holy Communion on Thursday morning.

On Holy Thursday evening, Christ (according to the Gospels) predicted all the events which preceded His betrayal, arrest and Crucifixion, and this day’s evening services commemorate His last actions to prepare His disciples for the drama which was to follow.

On Good Friday evening, the Passion of the Christ is commemorated with the Lamentations, among the Church’s most adoring hymns. The Epitaphios is elaborately decorated with flowers (symbolizing that Christ’s burial generated a blooming of flowers) and is taken around the church, as faithful hold candles and follow.

Great Saturday evening services will find the faithful anticipating celebrating Christ’s Resurrection by receiving the light from the priest, who emerges from the altar with the flame of the Holy Fire (delivered from the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem) just after midnight.

After being treated to some of the most glorious Resurrectional melodies, the faithful joyously greet one another with "Christos Anesti (Christ is Risen)," repeatedly singing the Hymn of the Resurrection, "Christ has Risen from the dead."



Volume 7 Number 18 - Tuesday, May 3rd, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY