Pictorial

Published by Orthodox Christian Laity, October 17, 2005

Pictorial and other Highlights of the 18th Annual Meeting of OCL: Church of St. John of Damascus, Dedham, Massachusetts

Twenty OCL board members attend Fall Board Meeting at St. John of Damascus Orthodox Church, Dedham, MA.

Deborah Sedares, former president of the Council of Eastern Orthodox Churches of Central Massachusetts, discusses the work of that organization and the excellent care received by the residents of Holy Trinity Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, a Pan-Orthodox ministry of the Council of Central MA. Lee Kopulos, President of OCL, looks on.

Dr. Robert Haddad, Sophia Smith Professor of History and Professor of Religion Emeritus, Smith College, Northampton, MA, presented a profound discussion on the spiritual, canonical and pragmatic need for Orthodox Christian Unity in North America. The retreat of the parishes into self-centered entities is the result of the failure of the hierarchy to lead the Church into the ecclesiological good order of a unified Orthodox Christian Church in North America. Orthodox Christians in the Americas have the responsibility to behave as if they are one. This is the good order of Orthodoxy. This is the Orthodox WAY.

Other highlights of the 18th annual meeting are OCL's commitment to supporting Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF). OCF and many other programs clearly demonstrate that Orthodox Christianity is one in North America.

1. An exemplary campus ministry program brought to the attention of OCL is the Annapolis College Ministry, which is a Pan-Orthodox endeavor and a subsidiary of Holy Cross Antiochian Orthodox Church. OCL challenged the ministry to raise $10,000 locally, and it would match this sum. This having been accomplished, OCL is happy to present Annapolis College Ministry with a $10,000 grant.

2. OCL will provide 6 scholarships of $300 each for 3 students to attend the East Coast and 3 students to attend the West Coast OCF Winter Break Conferences. Students should write a letter indicating their involvement with OCF on their campus and a discussion of their financial need. Send these letters to OCL, P.O. Box 6954, West Palm Beach, Florida 33405 by December 1, 2005. Decisions of selection committee are final.

Alex Petkas tells of his experiences with OCF at Trinity University, San Antonio, TX where he is a junior majoring in music and speech.

Three new board members were elected to the OCL board of directors. They are Argo Georgandis, Houston, Texas, Calvin Oren, Catonsville, Maryland, and Teva Regule, Brookline, Massachusetts.

Following the annual meeting the board of directors met to elect the officers for 2005-06. Lee Kopulos will serve as president. Vice Presidents include Nicholas Pappas, Wilmington, Delaware; Nick Karacas, St. Louis, Missouri; Andrew Kartalis, Cleveland, Ohio; Peter Petkas, Houston, Texas. Jim Koulogeorge and George Aravosis will remain as co-treasurers, and George Karcazes will serve as secretary with the assistance of the recording secretary Argo Georgandis, Houston, Texas.

Eleven Board members visited the Holy Trinity nursing facility in Worcester, MA on Saturday evening and thanked the staff for a wonderful tour; and a special thank you to Mr. Walter E. Haddad, President of the Council of Eastern Orthodox Churches of Central MA, for serving as our host. Thank you also to the parish communities of St John of Damascus for their gracious hospitality and St. Mary Antiochian Orthodox Church for inviting OCL to network with their faithful during the coffee hour.

Special thank yous are also extended to the board members who attended the meeting at their own expense, the faithful who gave up a Saturday morning to participate in the Annual Program Meeting, the many Angel Fund Donors, Teva Regule and Diane Georgopulos who helped coordinate events in the Boston area, Evangeline Zarris who helped with registration, Very Reverend Fathers Gordon Walker and Peter Gillquist who spoke on the need for unity according to scripture and campus ministry.

The 18th Annual meeting was a success in every way, and a good time was had by all.



Volume 7 Number 42 - Tuesday, October 18, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY