ORTHODOX-ANGLICAN REUNION

Dear friends in Christ,

Fr. Anthony, Pastoral Vicar for the Western Rite of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) will be addressing the Spring Conference of the Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen (FCC)  in Fredericksburg, Virginia this week. He will be accompanied by Metropolitan Jonah. The FCC is the organization that organized the great St. Louis Church Congress in 1977, that launched the continuing Anglican movement.

Early this year I was contacted by Col. Wallace Spaulding, President of the Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen. He told me that the FCC Board wanted a representative of the Orthodox Church who could speak with authority to address their Spring Conference. I recommended Fr. Anthony, Pastoral Vicar for the Western Rite, and Col. Spaulding asked me to arrange it. Fr. Anthony graciously agreed and will be addressing the Spring Conference with the blessing of Archbishop Hilarion, Metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia. Yesterday I learned that Metropolitan Jonah will be accompanying Fr. Anthony to the Conference.

The FCC Spring Conference is being held Friday, May 24th and Saturday, May 25th, in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and will begin at 6:00 PM Friday evening and conclude at noon on Saturday. The Conference will be  held at the Fredericksburg Comfort Suites (541 Warrenton Rd.) through breakfast on Saturday, and at St. Luke's Anglican Church (65 Warrenton Rd.) thereafter. The cost for the meeting and the Friday night dinner is only $25.00. You will be responsible for your own lodging arrangements. 

Fr. Anthony will be speaking on Saturday, May 25th, at 10:00 AM, at St. Luke's Anglican Church. You will want to hear Fr. Anthony speak and to meet both Fr. Anthony and Metropolitan Jonah. Fr. Anthony was an Episcopal priest for many years before he entered the Orthodox Church. He now serves as rector of a Western Rite congregation and as Pastoral Vicar of the Western Rite parishes. Metropolitan Jonah is a former Episcopalian as is Bishop Jerome, Vicar-bishop for the Western Rite in ROCOR.

The goal of the great St. Louis Church Congress was to preserve the historic Faith and Order of the Anglican Church after the Episcopal Church had abandoned that Faith and Order, and to bring orthodox Anglicans into unity with the wider Church. For a generation continuing Anglicans have prayed and worked for Church unity. Full sacramental communion and visible unity with the 300 million-member Orthodox Church, while preserving in perpetuity our Anglican liturgical, spiritual and cultural patrimony, is possible right now. The wait is over.

I know that this may be short notice, but if you are interested in Orthodox-Anglican reunion and are within driving distance of Fredericksburg, this is a Conference that you will not want to miss.  All you need to do is to be at St. Luke's Anglican Church by 10:00 AM on Saturday to hear Fr. Anthony and meet Metropolitan Jonah. I hope that you will share this invitation to the FCC Spring Conference with everyone who you think may be interested in it. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Wishing you every grace and blessing,

Fr. Victor Novak+

Rev. Victor E. Novak

Rector

HOLY CROSS PARISH

7545 Main Street

Ralston, Nebraska 68127

www.holycrossomaha.net

Rectory: (402) 687-9458

Church:  (402) 573-6558

HOLY CROSS UPDATE

Dear friends in Christ,

This Update is going out to the members and friends of Holy Cross parish. Please feel free to share it with anyone who you think may be interested.

I hope that you are having a good week. It seems that winter has revisited us, but Spring cannot be far away!

Fr. Smith has taken our latest food donation to the Open Door Mission. It totaled 281 lbs! Let us spend our lives doing good, praying and working for the day when no one will go hungry while we enjoy a good meal, or shiver in the cold while we sleep in warm beds, or kneel under oppression while we kneel before our shining altars. Our Lord calls us to be salt and light in the world. We cannot do everything, but each of us can do something, and together we can make a real difference in the lives of real people. 283 lbs of food will feed a lot of hungry people. That said, we must remember that people need to eat every day. Our parish food bin is now empty. Let's begin refilling it this Sunday. Give, give and then give again. Believe me, you will be blessed. You cannot out-give God.

The celebration of the Holy Eucharist at the chapel of Douglas County Hospital scheduled for Saturday morning, May 4th, has been cancelled. 

Last week's potluck luncheon was wonderful. We have seldom seen so much good food! Our monthly potluck luncheons are a real highlight at Holy Cross parish. On the last Sunday of every month we enjoy a wonderful meal and warm fellowship together.

Please be sure to mark your calendar for Friday, May 24th and Saturday, June 8th.  On Friday  evening, May 24th, we will have dinner and a movie at Holy Cross. We will be showing the movie Chariots of Fire and grilling hamburgers and hotdogs. Everyone is invited to bring salads, sides and beverages of all kinds to share. May 24th is the Friday after Pentecost so there will be no Friday abstinence. So mark your calenders, invite family and friends, come hungry, and plan on having a wonderful evening!

On Saturday, June 8th, the Sisters of Holy Cross will hold their annual fund raising rummage sale. Everyone is invited to participate by donating items to be sold. The more you donate the better. Donated goods can be brought to the church on Sunday morning June 2nd, or on Wednesday evening June 5th. I'll give you more details as they become available.

Can you believe that this Sunday is the last Sunday in Eastertide? With the snow we have just had it feels like we should still be in Epiphanytide!  Next week we will celebrate the Holy Eucharist on Wednesday at 12:10 PM as usual. It will be the last Liturgy at which we will light the Paschal Candle until next year. Receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion two or three times a week will change your life. We cannot receive too much grace! Come and experience the transforming love and power of the Lord.

Next Thursday, May 9th, is Ascension Day, a Holy Day of Obligation. We will celebrate the Holy Eucharist for the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord at 6:00 PM. There will be no morning Mass on that day. Please mark your calendar and plan to be at church on Ascension Thursday at 6:00 PM to celebrate this great Feast.

Choir practice will be held Wednesday evening, May 8th, at 6:30 PM. A big thank you to our choir and music director for all of your hard work. You are a real blessing to the parish!

My adult Christian Education class on Church History continues this week. We will be taking a close and careful look at the teaching of Christ in Matthew 16: "on this rock I will build my Church." If you have ever wondered who or what is the rock, or what Jesus meant when He promised that the gates of hell will never prevail against His Church, then you will not want to miss this class! Class begins at 9:00 AM. Come, learn, be blessed and become equipped to bless others.

Sunday School begins at 9:00 AM, followed by Morning Prayer at 9:30 AM, and the Holy Eucharist at 10:00 AM. Nursery care for children under the age of four is available during the 10:00 AM Liturgy. Fellowship and refreshments in our parish hall immediately follows worship. Don't let "u" be missing from Ch_rch this Sunday. We are a faithful and friendly congregation, and we have a place for you. See you Sunday!

Wishing you every grace and blessing,

Father+

Fr. Victor E. Novak

HOLY CROSS PARISH

7545 Main Street

Ralston, NE 68127

www.holycrossomaha.net

(402) 573-6558