What's The Dream!
The following has been taken from a news group and such actions will not be tolerated by this Church.
Pastor in abuse case resigns post
By Farah Stockman and Yvonne Abraham, Globe Staff
MIDDLETON - The Rev. Jon C. Martin, pastor at St. Agnes Church,
where Christopher Reardon allegedly molested dozens of boys, has
resigned his post.
In the days following the arrest of Reardon, Martin's trusted
youth ministries coordinator, on what eventually became 131 child
molestation and pornography charges, the 62-year-old priest
appeared near collapse while saying Mass. In early October,
Martin said he had to get away and took a temporary leave from
the little white wooden church on Boston Street.
Now, four months later, the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston has
announced that Martin, a key witness in the case against Reardon,
will not return as pastor of St. Agnes. The priest, whose
whereabouts during his leave have not been revealed, will make
his final farewells at Masses this weekend.
The archdiocese cited health and personal reasons for Martin's
departure. Spokesman John B. Walsh declined to say whether the
resignation had anything to do with Reardon's alleged offenses.
Martin could not be reached for comment.
The Rev. Stephen M. Healy, who has been filling in for Martin at
St. Agnes, said Reardon's upcoming trial will demand so much of
Martin's time that there will be little left for parishioners.
''He's not coming back, basically for his own health,'' Healy
said. ''He will have to be in court a lot. Chris Reardon is
trying to drag everyone down with him.''
Details of Martin's testimony before a grand jury considering the
Reardon case, obtained by the Globe, indicates that he faced
tough questioning about his own actions in overseeing the St.
Agnes rectory during the years when Reardon is charged with
molesting children.
On the stand, the pastor steadfastly denied any knowledge of
Reardon's activities.
He did admit to lapses in his own oversight. For instance, Martin
acknowledged receiving a warning from another priest about
Reardon's behavior around children. However, it is unclear
whether Martin took any action.
He also admitted to breaking his own rules forbidding lay people
in the private areas of the church rectory, allowing several
former prisoners to sleep in his own quarters and giving the
church's pass code to a troubled young man.
Still, Martin maintained that he never noticed Reardon's alleged
offenses, even though they repeatedly took place only a few feet
from Martin's own sitting room and bedroom.
Reardon is accused of luring at least 20 boys into sex acts
during his years as a youth minister at St. Agnes Church and as
summer camp director at the Danvers YMCA. Scores of other boys
viewed pornography with him. The alleged abuses occurred in his
open office on the second floor of the rectory, in a basement of
the YMCA building, and in the home he shared with his wife.
The room in which he allegedly abused victims at the rectory was
just a few feet away from Martin's quarters. Reardon allegedly
used the rectory computer to download images of child pornography
and videotaped some of his alleged crimes, including the
molestation of a 12-year-old, with cameras hidden in the rectory
ceiling.
Martin told the grand jury that the Rev. Richard Driscoll, a
retired priest from a neighboring parish, called him to say he
was concerned that Reardon might be behaving inappropriately with
children in the office.
''He called me and talked to me about being concerned,'' Martin
testified, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
''Either he said a child up in the room or in the lap, and I
really can't recall which one.''
Driscoll declined to comment to the Globe, but confirmed that he
had warned Martin about Reardon. While it is unclear how Martin
reacted to the warning, Reardon continued to work with children
until his arrest at a church picnic on June 10.
By his own account, Martin paid little heed to the comings and
goings in his own rectory: Reardon repeatedly violated the
priest's rule barring children and other laypeople from the
rectory's second floor, as did Martin himself, when he allowed
several troubled men to sleep at the rectory.
One young man, a 26-year-old who had followed Martin from parish
to parish for more than a decade, even had the security code to
the rectory, and Martin admitted on the stand that the man could
have been using the rectory in his absence.
Indeed, investigators soon discovered that the young man had also
been viewing pornography on the computer outside Martin's living
quarters. Investigators also questioned Martin about two other
men who had spent nights at the rectory, former inmates Martin
had met as pastor at the Middleton jail and who struggled with
drug addiction.
On the stand, Martin insisted he hadn't seen any signs of
Reardon's alleged abuse. He had observed children in Reardon's
office only once, he said.
''I opened the door and found two kids sitting on the couch,
talking to him,'' he told the grand jury, according to the
source. ''And I just closed the door.''
Martin said he talked to Reardon about it later.
The priest was so trusting of Reardon that after the youth
coordinator's arrest, Martin planned to use parish funds to bail
him out, believing the charges to be fabricated, according to his
testimony.
He was unable to do so when a judge denied Reardon bail.
After seven months of investigation, prosecutors have found no
evidence of criminal wrongdoing by anyone except Reardon. But
civil lawyers say they will scour testimony in Reardon's criminal
trial for signs that Martin knew, or should have known, about
Reardon's alleged abuse in preparation for civil suits against
either the archdiocese or Martin himself.
Stephen Guschov, a lawyer who represents several families of
Reardon's alleged victims, said: ''Given the fact that there are
hundreds of counts alleged against Reardon and given the fact
that [some of] these occurred in a very small church, it strains
credibility to suggest that Reardon committed these alleged
crimes in a sort of vacuum where nobody knew it was going on, in
broad daylight, when there were a lot of people around.''
But some St. Agnes parishioners remain steadfast in defending
Martin, who they say could only have been broken and blindsided,
as they were, by the allegations.
''If he saw a wrong, he would do his best to right it,'' said
Martin's friend, Maureen Doe, his secretary for several years
during a previous parish assignment. ''You pray to God you don't
wake up and find yourself in the same situation. I have no doubt
whatsoever he would never have allowed such a thing if he'd
known.''
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What's New with Our Service Book!
The Service Book of Pride Church International is coming along nicely. Archbishop Innocent is currently working on the Divine Liturgy adding the rubrics and some additions that will make it more Orthodox.
Metropolitan Vladimir has completed the first Holy Union Service. Other services are currently under consideration for the service book.
Will keep you posted here as additional services are added.
Our Church needs special women to fulfill this office:
DEACONESSES
Saint Olympiada or Olympias, whose memory we celebrate on July 25, was a deaconess in the early church. The office of deaconess is described in the New Testament and Phoebe was called a deaconess in Romans 16: 1. This office is codified in the "Didascalia" written in the first half of the 3rd century and in the "Apostolic Constitutions" written in the later part of the 4th century. It is also mentioned at the 4th Ecumenical Council which met in Chalcedon in 451.
At first, only widows who had been married only once were admitted to the office. Later, virgins were also admitted. The age of admission varied through the years from 40-60 years of age. Once admitted they were not allowed to marry.
Deaconesses were ordained in the altar by a bishop by the imposition of hands. They were robed in a stichar and an orarion (deacon's stole). They were addressed as "reverend", "Most honorable" or "most pious". The episcopal prayers of ordination of a deaconess have not been revoked by the Orthodox Church and they can still be found in the books.
The deaconess had specific duties. Among them was to instruct privately female candidates for baptism, to assist at their baptism which was by total immersion, they did the anointing with oil at the baptism as it was not considered proper for the male clergy to touch a woman, they visited and cared for the sick, they were present at interviews of women with the bishops or priests, they dismissed women catechumens from the church and kept general order in the women's section of the church (men and women were segregated as they were up to about 25 years ago in our churches in America), and they did other duties delegated by the bishop like helping the poor. They were in a sense the educators of women in the faith and social workers. Deaconesses were ordained in the Eastern Church as late as the 12th century. The office was disused in the Western Church somewhat earlier.
Saint Olympiada born in 366 in Constantinople to the Senator Secunda was to become a deaconess.
At eighteen she married a prefect of the city. One of the gifts she received was a letter of advice written in verse to her by St. Gregory Nazianzius. Unfortunately she was widowed in less than two years. As she was an attractive, young, extremely wealthy widow, Emperor Theodosius tried to get her to marry his cousin, Elpida. Olympidia wrote the Emperor a letter in which she said: "If God willed me to live in a married state, He would not have taken my husband whom I dearly loved."
Theodosius was angered by her reply and took action against her. He named administrators to take charge of her immense wealth until she was thirty years old.
However, when she was 25, she was able to persuade the emperor to return control of her assets to her. She had begun to give her whole life to works of Christianity from the time of her widowhood. With the return of her money she increased her charitable giving. She gave to churches and monasteries, to homes for the homeless, to alleviate suffering in prisons, and to homes for exiles. Soon, she was besieged by requests and many took advantage of her kindnesses even some of those whom she had already helped. Saint John Chrysostom, who was impressed by her charity felt need to write to her highly instructive letters warning her to be more discriminating in her benefactions. These letters survive.
As for herself, she lived an austere lifestyle with other deaconesses. She renounced earthly pleasures and gave most of her time over to prayer and charitable works.
She had been ordained a deaconess earlier by the bishop of Constantinople. Among her other duties, he consulted her on matters concerning the church.
She served Saint John Chrysostom as she would a father and ultimately she was one of the few faithful who remained loyal to him when he endured his banishments from Constantinople. She had to endure severe persecutions starting with rumors and finally exile for supporting his cause and refusing to recognize the intruded successor to Saint John Chrysostom at the Cathedral. She was charged with conspiring to burn the cathedral, she was heavily fined and from that time matters became almost intolerable. the enemies of Saint John became her enemies. She didn't have anyone to turn to for advice, solace, or protection. Her properties and wealth were ultimately seized, she was robbed and everything she had left was confiscated.
Her last days were spent in a monastery which she had founded, but even here she did not escape harassment. She died in 408 at 42 years of age.
PRAYERS FOR THE ORDINATION OF WOMEN DEACONS AS FOUND IN GEORGIAN MANUSCRIPTS
Taken from: "The Georgian Version of the Liturgy of St. James", F. C. Conybeare and Oliver Wardrop, from Revue de l'Orient Chretien, XIX, 1914 (Paris)
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Benediction of a Deaconess I
O Lord God of Hosts who before all women didst command Marian the sister of Moses to invoke Thee, who didst give the grace of prophecy to Deborah, who also didst ordain in this new dispensation by Thy Holy Spirit that deacons should not be double-tongued nor too much addicted to wine but instructing in goodliness, so that they might be an example of all that is pleasing; do Thou Thyself promote this Thy Handmaid to the grade to the end that she may annoint with oil them that come to Thy Holy Baptism and bring them to Thy Holy Font, and that she become a deaconess [*In the text of the article, footnote number 3, it is written that the term in Georgian is " 'diaconad', a deacon, there is no gender in the Georgian language"] of Thy Church after the order of Phebe, whom the Apostle ordained as ministrant at Cenchrea, give also to her with vigilance to convince and instruct the young folk: in the performing of Thy duties. Give grace unto her to utter all things in Thy Name: to the end that serving worthily and without sin she may find herself emboldened to intercede in the appointed hour of Thy Christ, with Whom Thou art blessed with the All-Holy Ghost, now and henceforth and forever.
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Benediction of a Deaconess II
Thou Who didst create all by the Word of Thy Command and by the incarnation and labour of Thine Only Begotten Son didst sanctify and equalize man and woman as seemed pleasing to Thee, Thou who gavest the grace of Thy Holy Spirit not only to men but to women; manifest now also this Thy Handmaid in this service, O Lord Almighty, and give to her the grace of the Spirit, so that she may walk pleasingly and blamelessly in works of righteousness; by the mercy and pardon of Thy Christ, with Him to Thee glory is due, with Thy Holy Spirit, now, henceforth, and forever.
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Benediction of a Deaconess III
Almighty Lord, who hast adorned Thy Church with the Ministry of Deaconship and hast filled with the Grace of Thy Holy Spirit the multitude of Churches; do Thou Thyself, O Lord, promote to the grade of the ministration of the diaconate this Thy Handmaid (Name) and vouchsafe unto her reverently and holily to accomplish this fair ministry; accept her vow for good; grant unto her the power to endure, for to Thee always is meet glory, to the Father and Son and Holy Ghost, now and henceforth and forever.
The Orthodox Faith
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Orthodoxy holds that the eternal truths of God's saving revelation in Jesus Christ are preserved in the living Tradition of the Church under the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Scriptures are at the heart of the Tradition and the touchstone of the faith. While the Bible is the written testimony of God's revelation, Holy Tradition is the all-encompassing experience of the Church under the abiding guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit. Essentially, Orthodox Christians consider that their beliefs are very similar to those of other Christian traditions, but that the balance and integrity of the entire Apostolic faith once delivered to the Saints has been preserved inviolate.
We believe that God is One in substance and Triune in persons. We worship One God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance. Creation is the work in time of the Blessed Trinity. The world is not self-created, neither has it existed from eternity, but it is the product of the wisdom, the power, and the will of the One God in Trinity. God the Father is the prime cause of creation and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit took part in creation, God the Son perfecting creation and God the Holy Spirit vivifying creation.
We believe that Our Lord Jesus Christ is truly God. He is Jesus, that is, the Savior and Christ, the Lord's Anointed, a Son not created of another substance, as is the case with us, but a Son begotten of the very substance of the Father before all time, and thus consubstantial with the Father. He is also truly man, like us in every respect, except sin. The denial either of His divinity or of His humanity constitutes a denial of His incarnation and of our salvation. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. The faith of the Church about the procession of the Holy Spirit was confirmed by the Second Ecumenical Council, which added to the Creed the following clause: "And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father." The Church is the holy institution founded by our Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of men, bearing his holy sanction and authority, and composed of men having one and the same faith, and partaking of the same sacraments. It is divided into the clergy and laity. The clergy trace their descent by uninterrupted succession from the Apostles and through them from our Lord Jesus Christ. The Church is ONE because our Lord Jesus Christ founded not many, but only one Church; HOLY because her aim, the sanctification and salvation of her members through the sacraments, is holy; CATHOLIC because she is above local limitations; and APOSTOLIC because she was "built upon the foundation of the Apostles, Jesus Christ Himself being the cornerstone" (Eph. 2:20). The Head of the Church is our Lord, Jesus Christ.
We recognize seven sacraments: Baptism, Chrism or Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Confession, Ordination, Marriage and Holy Unction. Baptism is the door through which one enters into the Church. Confirmation is the completion of Baptism. In the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, with the bread and wine, we partake of the very Body and the very Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ for remission of sins and eternal life. Both the New Testament and Sacred Tradition bear witness to the real Presence of our Lord in the Holy Eucharist. In the sacrament of Confession Jesus Christ, the founder of the sacrament, through the confessor, forgives the sins committed after Baptism by the person who confesses his sins and sincerely repents of them. In the sacrament of Ordination through prayer and the laying-on of hands by a bishop, divine grace comes down on the ordained enabling him to be a worthy minister of the Church. Apostolic succession is fundamental to the Church. Without it there can be no continuity of the Church. In the sacrament of Marriage, divine grace sanctifies the union of husband and wife. In the sacrament of Holy Unction the sick person is anointed with sanctified oil and divine grace heals his bodily and spiritual ills.
At death man's body goes to the earth from which it was taken, and the soul, being immortal, goes to God, who gave it. The souls of men, being conscious and exercising all their faculties immediately after death, are judged by God. This judgment following man's death we call the Particular Judgment. The final reward of men, however, we believe will take place at the time of the General Judgment. During the time between the Particular and the General Judgment, which is called the Intermediate State, the souls of men have foretaste of their blessing or punishment. Further, we venerate and honor the saints and we ask their intercession with God, but we adore and worship God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Of all saints, we honor exceedingly the Mother of our Lord because of the supreme grace and the call which she received from God. Though she was not exempt from original sin, from which she was cleansed at the time of the Annunciation, we believe that by the grace of God she did not commit any actual sin. We venerate the sacred icons and relics. Yet this veneration, according to the decisions and canons of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, relates not to the sacred images as such, but to their prototypes, or to the persons whom they represent.
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