Teens, Screens, and Faith

“What’s the downside to having a smartphone? There is none,” says the 13-year-old girl in “Screenagers,” a documentary recently shown at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Akron.

Dr. Georgette Constantinou, a pediatric psychologist with Akron Children’s Hospital, sees the situation differently: “We have to teach [children] the down side and how to use digital devices responsibly.”

Rev. Aleksa Pavichevich, priest of St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in North Canton, and an IT specialist, agrees: “We have to talk about it as a family, including the kids. We have to equip our children to make good decisions when they’re not at home, when they’re at school or with their friends.”

Along with Father Aleksa and Dr. Constantinou, Rev. Father Jerry Hall, parish priest at Annunciation, and Rev. Father Andrew Lentz, assistant priest, led a discussion for the parents and young people who attended the showing of the documentary.

The movie by physician and filmmaker Dr. Delaney Ruston immediately puts out the numbers: The average teen spends 6 1/2 hours a day looking at digital devices, not including time spent doing school work or homework.

Dr. Ruston, a pediatrician, includes scenes of those “negotiations” with her daughter, Tessa, who begs for a smartphone to replace her broken flip phone.

Asked why she needs the device so desperately, Tessa replies: “I would be cool. I’d be able to look busy in awkward situations.”

Those are significant words, says clinical psychologist Laura Kastner. She increasingly sees teens who use their phones to avoid contact with others.

Like other girls, Tessa would use her phone mostly for social media, while Dr. Ruston’s 14-year-old son, Chase, uses his mostly for games. Teenage boys spend more than 11 hours a week playing games.

Not surprisingly, a discussion follows about whether video games desensitize players to violence. The answer might be found in history: The first games that involved shooting were made by the military to desensitize soldiers.

With their overwhelming use of social media, girls face other problems. Peggy Orenstein, author of “Cinderella Killed My Daughter,” says teenage girls are “bombarded with images of appearance” and believe pictures of themselves must be heavily photoshopped to be acceptable.

“Their conversations are all looks-based,” Orenstein says.“They’re trying to find the perfect balance between cute and hot.”

Again, not surprisingly, there follows the story of a girl named Hannah who was pressured by a boy to send a photo of herself in a bra. When she did, he asked: “Why did you send that?” and promptly shared it.

The bullying that followed produced depression and dark thoughts. When she shared that she felt like killing herself, a so-called friend replied: “You should.” Fortunately, Hannah told her mother and received counseling.

Many schools are giving their students laptops or tablets to help with homework and classroom assignments. But this is not a good thing, says Jacob Vigdor, professor of public policy at the University of Washington.

“What we found is that when a computer arrives in a kid’s home, their test scores in reading and math actually decrease,” he said “And what we think is going on is that the computer at home is actually taking time away from homework, taking time away from learning, particularly in families where there wasn’t a parent around to monitor what the child was doing.”

One young teen in the film admits that while he uses a school-issued computer to do homework, he usually has three other devices operating at the same time: One for music, one for a movie, one for a game.

While lauded in our society as a habit of smart, productive people, multitasking is actually impossible for our brains. It also deludes us, according to Dr. Sherry Turkle, who directs the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self.

“What’s extraordinary about the studies on multitasking is that even though you’re doing worse and worse on everything, you feel as though you’re doing better and better,” she said.

From an evolutionary perspective, early humans had to know everything going on their environment, said scientist Nicholas Carr, author of “The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains.” To “screen out” the environment by looking at a device “goes against our fundamental nature,” he said.

Another problem is that our brains are wired for seeking behavior. When they “find” something, dopamine – a neurotransmitter that controls the brain’s reward and pleasure centers – is released. People with smartphones are constantly checking them because they want that release of the pleasure-producing chemical, Carr said.

But it was the story of the mice that stuck with many of the parents in the Assumption Church audience. Nino Ramirez, director of the Center for Integrative Brain Research at Seattle Children’s Research Institute, said mice exposed to bright, fast-moving images on screens took three times longer to make it through a maze than their non-exposed counterparts.

More importantly, tests showed the mice exposed to screens had fewer brain cells in the areas governing learning and memory. Even when they were no longer exposed to screens, the mice did not improve.

“The effects on the brain were permanent,” Dr. Constantinou emphasized during the discussion after the documentary. At Akron Children’s, she saw increasing problems with sleep deprivation and obesity in children because of too much time spent with digital devices.

“A generation of kids – and adults – are exhausted because they’re not sleeping,” she said. “At least one hour before bed, there should be no screens of any kind.”

Screens are also contributing to obesity in children because they are sedentary while looking at devices, she said.

So what are parents to do?

“As parents, we must provide opportunities to do something as a family,” said Father Jerry. “Do something physical, go somewhere, play a game, go outside. We’re too dependent on technology as a way to entertain ourselves.”

Father Andrew said there is a movement based on the second chapter of Genesis that says on the seventh day, God rested. That movement encourages fasting from technology on the Sabbath, he said.

Father Aleksa said he and his family have a version of Tech Talk Tuesdays, as suggested in the film, when they discuss how to use new technology responsibly. They also have Friday game nights – to which the kids can invite friends – and a rule that there will be no cell phones during family trips and activities.

Dr. Constantinou said years ago, she and her husband made a rule that no one could do anything apart from the family after Divine Liturgy on Sundays. Instead, they would hike in the local Metroparks.

“To this day, we hike as a family,” she said.

Dr. Constantinou said that on October 1, the American Academy of Pediatrics will release a Family Media Use Plan that will make recommendations and provide tools for screen-free zones, time spent on devices, recommended breaks, device curfews, etc. It also warns of the dangers of technology and tells parents how to monitor children’s devices.

Father Aleksa described the dangers as “fighting a hydra. You cut off one head and three more pop up.” He recommends CommonSenseMedia.org as “a very thorough site for parents and educators. It tells you about movies coming out, school curricula, tips to spot danger, etc.”

The first step, he said, is to know the password to every device in your house.

“If the kid changes it, that device goes away,” he said.

Rev. Father Jerry Hall believes showing the documentary at his church was beneficial.

“I think that the film offered a brief look at the many different facets of how our children are impacted by screens and technology, from the physiological to the psychological and the social,” he said.“The film offered a good starting point for parents to begin an important and informed discussion with their children regarding technology and screen time.”

Article by Barbara Mudrak, a retired teacher and journalist. She is a member of Holy Assumption Orthodox Church in Canton.

Workshop, Concert, and Lenten Vespers

The faithful Orthodox of St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in North Canton, Ohio enjoyed a spiritually uplifting weekend surrounding the 5th Sunday of Great Lent.

Beginning on Saturday, March 24th, the St. George parish hosted its 3rd annual Lenten workshop entitled, “Soul Mending – The Mystery of Holy Repentance”. Orthodox Christians from various jurisdictions, as well as Protestants and Roman Catholics from the surrounding community, attended this open event meant to deepen the community’s understanding of sin and reconciliation according to the teachings of the Holy Church.  Host-priest, Fr. Aleksa Pavichevich, not only offered information to those present, but had them do group work exploring the nature of sin, death, and repentance.

Together, the workshop participants reflected on the difficulty with recognizing and acknowledging “sin” in this modern era, while learning how to prepare for confessing their sins in the context of the Holy Church. After the morning workshop, participants enjoyed a light, lenten meal, and fellowship.  As in previous years, this event was offered as free gift to everyone in the Stark County community.

The following morning, the faithful of St. George Serbian Orthodox Church showed up in great numbers to celebrate Divine Liturgy on the Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt. The church community was vibrant in anticipation for the busy day ahead, which would conclude almost twelve-hours after Proskomedia began in the morning.

Following Divine Liturgy, Orthodox Christians from throughout the Cleveland, Akron, and Canton region gathered at St. George for a spiritually uplifting concert offered by seminarians from St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary.  In the church, filled to capacity, the twelve choir members filled the magnificent space with hymns from a variety of Orthodox musical traditions.

Throughout the performance, the seminarians offered captivating explanations of the meaning behind the music, almost all of which was taken from music sung at the Feast of the Annunciation that was celebrated in many other Orthodox jurisdictions on that very day.  One choir member in-particular offered his personal growth in understanding the veneration of the Most Holy Mother-of-God, having come from an evangelical protestant background where such veneration was not permitted. The collection taken during the event directly benefited the scholarships of the choir members who, God-willing, will be future servants in the Holy Orthodox Church.

Immediately following the choir performance, all attendees gathered in the St. George Event Center for refreshments, and an opportunity to meet the seminarians and purchase items from the St. Tikhon’s bookstore.

Just a short time later, St. George hosted their second event of the day, Lenten Vespers with clergy from throughout the Cleveland Deanery including Fr. Sava (Medakovich), attached to New Marcha Monastery; Fr. Milan Pajic, parish priest of St. Archangel Michael in Akron; Fr. Bosko Stojanovic, parish priest of Holy Trinity in Youngstown; Fr. Vedran Grabic, parish priest of St. George in Hermitage, PA; and host-priest Fr. Aleksa Pavichevich.  In a near-capacity church, faithful Orthodox christians fervently offered their solemn prayers, together with the clergy, as the Kosovo Men’s Choir magnificently sang the responses.

Upon the conclusion of the service, all in attendance gathered in the St. George Event Center for a Lenten meal that included homemade soup, pogaca, falafel, fruit salad, and more. The many people in attendance enjoyed recounting the weekend’s marvelous and spiritually uplifting events as they dined together. Near the end of the meal, Fr. Sava (Medakovich) offered a lecture on the theme, “How do we come to know God?”.

As the workers of the St. George Serbian Orthodox church community began cleaning up from the various events they hosted during this busy weekend, their faces and spirits were not worn-down from all their labor.  In fact, quite the opposite – they rejoiced that God had blessed them to be able to host such wonderful events!

3rd Annual Lenten Retreat in NYC

With the blessing of His Grace Bishop Irinej, on Thursday, March 1st, parishioners from St. George church in North Canton departed for their 3rd annual Lenten Retreat to New York City.  As in years prior, the group stayed in White Plains, north of the city, in close proximity to their retreat location at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in Tuckahoe, New York.

Different from years past, the retreat began with a visit to the new Diocesan Residence in NewRochelle.  Located just north of the Bronx, and within ten minutes of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, this residence is in a prime location for visitors and guests to enjoy the hospitality of the Eastern-American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The group was blessed with an official tour of the residence by their hierarch, His Grace Bishop Irinej.  Every room was filled with items of great spiritual and historical value for all those in the Diocese, as well as Orthodox Christians everywhere. His Grace was a wonderful host, offering His time to the group and speaking with great knowledge about each item on display, providing the fascinating history behind the many icons, vestments, paintings, relics, fixtures, and furniture found in each room.

The retreat group was amazed that in such a short time, in the midst of the active work of the Diocese and the busy schedule of their Diocesan Bishop, the organizing the new Residence, including the unloading and sorting of the voluminous library and diocesan records, was well underway.

Highlights of the morning tour included Zora Pavichevich, age six, playing the piano for His Grace Bishop Irinej and the retreat group, as well as the group’s delightful conversation with His Grace in the conference room at the conclusion of their visit.

The Diocesan Residence will be a true center for the faithful of the Eastern Diocese – a place for visitation and pilgrimage – and a wonderful representation of the Serbian Church to visitors that pass through New York City from all over the world.

Following the tour of the Residence, the faithful travelled to nearby St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary to join the community for Presanctified Liturgy.  Both the male and the mixed choirs sang magnificently, lifting the spirits of all those offering their solemn prayers during the service. Immediately after, the retreat group was invited to join the seminarians for a late-lunch in the refectory, which provided a wonderful opportunity for the parishioners of St. George to get to know the students they regularly pray for, and the community they joyfully support.

The group then enjoyed a tour of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, led by Deacon Larry Soper, a seminarian from the Eastern-American Diocese and former deacon at the parish of St. George in North Canton. The group embraced their former deacon with love and affection, and listened intently as he took them through the various campus buildings offering bits of history and information.  The day concluded with a retreat group meal wherein Deacon Larry was happy to answer questions about life as a student and seminarian.

The following day, Fr. Aleksa Pavichevich offered a Lenten workshop entitled, “Forgiveness:  A Miracle”, to clergy from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in America. This workshop was unique in that the clergy were gathered at a retreat center in Pennsylvania, and Fr. Aleksa was with his St. George parish retreat group in New York.  Harnessing the power and potential of social media, the distance between the two groups was bridged as the workshop was broadcast via Facebook Live.  To the delight of both Fr. Aleksa and the group of Ukrainian priests, a number of participants from all over the world joined the live workshop and actively participated by asking and answering questions, joining in the discussion, and sharing their thoughts and feelings about “Forgiveness”.

On the final day of the Parish Lenten Retreat, the group of faithful from North Canton joined the St. Sava Pro-Cathedral community for Holy Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at St. Eleftherios Greek Orthodox Church in Manhattan. His Grace Bishop Irinej presided, joined by many Orthodox faithful filling every corner of their functional parish space, and concelebranting clergy including the Very Rev. Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Dr. Zivojin Jakovljevic, Dean of the Pro-Cathedral; the Very Rev. Protopresbyter Aleksa Micic, currently attached to the St. Sava Pro-Cathedral; the Very Rev. Aleksa Pavichevich, parish priest at St. George in North Canton, Ohio; and Protodeacon Milos Zdralic, Diocesan Financial Secretary.

Following services, the Retreat participants departed for their home community of St. George in North Canton.  The weekend, as in years past, offered the participants a chance to deepen their relationship with Christ, grow in their Orthodox faith, and make connections within their Diocese, and with community at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. Glory be to God for all things!

Годишње духовне вежбе у Њујорку поводом Великог поста

По благослову Његовог Преосвештенства епископа Иринеја, у четвртак, 1. марта 2018. године, парохијани из цркве Светог Ђорђа у Норт Кантону ишли су поводом својих годишњих великопосног духовних вежби у град Њујорк. Као и претходних година, група је одсела у Вајт Плеинс, северно од града, у близини локације њиховог окупљања у Православној академији Светог Владимира у Такахоу, у Њујорку.

Другачије него раније, духовне вежбе су  почеле посетом новој епископској резиденцији у Њу Рошелу. Смештена северно од Бронкса, и само десет минута од Академије Светог Владимира, ова резиденција је право место да посетиоци и гости могу уживати у гостопримству Источноамеричке епархије Српске Православне Цркве.

Група је имала благослов што ју је за време обиласка резиденције предводио архијереј, Његово Преосвештенство Иринеј. Свака просторија је испуњена предметима велике духовне и историјске вредности за све епархиоте, као и за православне хришћане уопште.

Група је била импресионирана што је за тако кратко време, усред активног рада Епархије, и густог програма рада њиховог Епископа, организација нове резиденције, са уношењем и сортирањем огромне библиотеке и владикиних списа, добро урађена.

Врхунац јутарњег обиласка били су сусрет са Зором Павићевић, 6-годишњакињом, која је свирала клавир за Владику Иринеја и групу из Норт Кантона, као и дивни разговори ове групе са Његовим Преосвештенством у сали за конференције на крају њихове посете.

Епархијска резиденција биће прави центар за вернике Источноамеричке епархије – место посете и поклоништва –  прелепо представљање Српске Цркве посетиоцима који пролазе кроз Њујорк Сити из целог света.

После обиласка резиденције, верници су обишли Православну Богословску академију Светог Владимира, где су се придружили верницима на Литургији пређеосвећених дарова.  Одмах после тога, група је обедовала са студентима у трпезарији.

После ручка група је била у обиласку Академијее Светог Владимира, а предводио ју је ђакон Лари Сопер, богослов из Источноамеричке епархије и бивши ђакон у парохији Светог Ђорђа у Норт Кантону. Дан је окончан вечером коју је ова група имала с ђаконом Ларијем, са којем се разговарало о животу једног студента богослова.

Следећег дана отац Алекса Павићевић је предводио великопосну духовну радионицу, под називом „Опраштање: Чудо“,  пред свештенством Украјинске Православне Цркве у Америци. Ова радионица је јединствена у томе што се свештенство окупило у центру за духовне вежбе у Пенсилванији, а отац Алекса са својом групом при парохији Светог Ђорђа у Њујорку.

Последњег дана великопосних духовних вежби, група верника из Норт Кантона придружила се заједници Светог Саве на Божанској Литургији у грчкој православној цркви Светог Елефтерија на Менхетну. Његово Преосвештенство Епископ Иринеј је началствовао Литургијом уз саслужење свештенства: протојереја-ставрофора др Живојина Јаковљевића, настојатеља прокатедралног; протојереја Алексе Мићића, тренутно придруженог прокатедралној цркви Св. Саве; о. Алексе Павићевића, парохијског свештеника цркве Светог Ђорђа из Норт Кантона, у Охају; и протођакона Милоша Ждралића, епархијског секретара, у присуству великог броја верника.

После службе, учесници духовних вежби вратили су се  у своју парохију у Норт Кантону.

Извор: Источноамеричка епархија СПЦ (са енглеског Информативна служба СПЦ)

Namesday of His Grace Bishop Irinej

On Tuesday, September 5th, clergy and faithful from throughout the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Deaneries of the Eastern-American Diocese gathered around His Grace Bishop Irinej at New Marcha Monastery in joyful celebration of their Hierarch’s Names Day. Services began with fourteen clergy greeting His Grace outside of the small monastery church of St. Archangel Gabriel. The clergy entered in solemn procession as faithful sang gloriously in the nave. Blue vestments were worn by all concelebrating clergy in honor and celebration of the Apodosis of the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos.

During the Little Entrance, an additional and joyous moment was inserted into the Liturgy as His Grace elevated two of his diocesan clergy, Fr. Bosko Stojanovic, parish priest of Holy Trinity in Youngstown, and Fr. Aleksa Pavichevich, parish priest of St. George in North Canton, to the distinction of “Protonamesnik”. As he presented the two faithful servants to the congregation, His Grace offered his gratitude at the hard work and dedication of Fr. Aleksa not only in the life of his parish, but also in maintaining and improving the diocesan website. As he brought Fr. Bosko forward, His Grace not only thanked Fr. Bosko for piloting him from Ohio to North Carolina, but he also shared the challenging early days of Fr. Bosko’s ministry servicing the spiritual needs of the Serbian Diaspora in South America.

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2017-2018 School Year of Christian Education begins!

The 2017-2018 Church School year officially began on Sunday, September 17th with the blessing of the children, teachers, and parents.  Immediately following Divine Liturgy, the children gathered around Fr. Aleksa Pavichevich in the center of the church and offered prayerful thanksgiving to the Lord.

Fr. Aleksa reminded the community that the true work of Christian Education takes place as a family at Divine Liturgy, and as a family at their home-church. It is there where the children are nourished and fed.  The classes offered by the parents and stewards of the St. George parents are a supplement, meant to offer children an opportunity to explore their faith in new ways.  If they do not reinforce those lessons at home in prayer, repentance, and love, modeled and taught by their families, then the lessons offered at church will struggle to form deep roots within them.

The following Wednesday, Fr. Aleksa and a few children from St. George joined the children of St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church in Akron, Ohio to begin a new season of Folklore and Church School education.  Fr. Aleksa and Fr. Milan Pajic offer lessons to the Folklore children between lessons.

On Saturday, the children of St. George began their Serbian Language lessons. Parents and community members expressed a sincere desire to learn Serbian so that they might better communicate with faithful from other communities, and to prepare for a future pilgrimage to the holy sites and locales in Serbia.  Under the direction of Mira Lazic, the children began learning the Cyrillic alphabet, along with beginning conversation.

On the following day the students had their first lesson on “Charity”.  This year the St. George students will complete an OCEC curriculum with interspersed lessons on “the virtues”.  They will not only learn about their faith, but they will also learn about how to practically live out that faith in a positive way.

Their first activity was to create donation boxes that they will use to collect money throughout the year.  After the St. Sava break, our students will submit that money to a charity or cause that is important to them – and their families.

Many thanks to our church school instructors and volunteers including:  Kathy Tobias (Pre-K organizer), Svetlana McCully (Elementary), Rajko Radonjich (Middle), and Mark Resanovich (High School and St. Sebastian).  God-willing, this will be a wonderful year of Christian Education for the St. George parish community!

SerbFest 2017

On Saturday, July 15th, the St. George Serbian Orthodox Church community held their third-annual Serbian Festival, “SerbFest”.

In the week leading up to the event, the community faced many challenges: a flood in the main hall, a malfunctioning PA system, an injury to the leader of the roasting crew, and more. Yet with great love for their church community, the parishioners of St. George Serbian Orthodox church rallied together and addressed the many challenges, waking-up Saturday ready to offer hospitality, entertainment and great food to their guests.

The day began with pastries in the main hall and shopping at the “Little Serbia Marketplace” in the lounge. The homemade baked goods covered multiple tables, and freshly made crepes (“palacinke”) were available with a variety of toppings. In the marketplace, this year a number of fantastic vendors offered a wide variety of goods for sale, including clothes, red pepper spread (“Ivar”), and Orthodox religious items and icons.

At noon, children’s activities opened for all of our young visitors. This year, children were able to enjoy multiple bouncy houses, pony rides, face painting, and more! Even when the children’s activities officially closed at 6pm, children stayed and played well into the evening. Families played soccer in the main field until dark and, to the delight of the youngest children, Ken Kozak spent the latter part of the day assisting the children in making fresh popcorn from a newly-donated popcorn machine.

Also opening at noon, the kitchen offered a diverse selection of roasted meats (including lamb, pig, and chicken) in addition to freshly grilled cevapcici, and other hot items (sarma, hot rice, and vegetables). As guests enjoyed the ethnic fare, live music was continuously provided by the tamburica band “Radost”.

In addition to activities at the hall and pavilion, Fr. Aleksa Pavichevich offered church tours from noon until the completion of Great Vespers. Well over 100 guests entered the church and heard a short introduction to the Orthodox church, and specific information about the art and architecture of the St. George parish, before engaging in wonderful question-and-answer sessions. The questions that the vistors posed were as diverse as the people that entered the church, including many in-depth discussions on history, spirituality and the liturgical life of the Orthodox faithful.

The evening’s events began with the folklore group “Gracanica”, based out of St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church in Akron, Ohio, taking the stage at 6pm. Their three groups (beginners, middlers, and advanced) performed a number of dances to the enjoyment of the standing-room only, completely-full church hall. Live music was played until close by Drago Micic.

It was a great blessing for the St. George community to once again share their faith, culture, and hospitality with their neighbors – and visitors from afar. God-willing, next year’s SerbFest will be blessed with continued growth!

The Great Feast of Pentecost – 2017

On Sunday, June 4th 2017, the St. George Serbian Orthodox parish celebrated the Great Feast of Pentecost. The congregation reveled in the hymns of the Feast as the Boza Yoksimovich Serbian Singing Society of Canton joyously sang the responses after weeks of practice. In particular, their English version of the Festal Tropar “Blessed art Thou O Christ our God…”, sung in the Serbian tonal setting, was magnificent!

Those present also enjoyed the festive green of the Feast.  The church was adorned with decorative fresh plants through the efforts of Ben Moretta and his son Ryan.  They arrived very early to beautify the church, and to spread freshly cut grass so that the community might weave traditional crosses wreaths during the Vespers of Pentecost.

During the Divine Liturgy, Fr. Aleksa elaborated on a portion of the day’s Gospel message, John 8:12 – “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” Fr. Aleksa discussed the pervasive fear in which we seem to live, a fear that is rooted in death and darkness. He offered, however, that darkness cannot reach out its cold, gray hand and snuff-out even the smallest candle.  Light, conversely, will always drive away darkness even in the blackest midnight, or in the depths of some earthly cavern. Therefore, by clinging to the light and life of our Lord Jesus Christ, darkness and fear can have no lasting power over us.

The parish rejoiced in its children following the kneeling prayers of Pentecost, distributing their 2017 Church School participation awards.  On behalf of the Parish Council, Fr. Aleksa also offered a gift to this year’s High School graduate, Grace Breedlove.  He also recognized college graduates Geoff George and Rachael Tobias.  The parish also welcomed Mira Lazic, who will be joining the parish in the fall to offer Serbian language and culture classes to all interested children.

Immediately following Divine Liturgy, the community gathered around the church school rooms for pizza, cupcakes, and fellowship.

Fundraiser for St. Vladimir’s Seminary

With the blessing of His Grace Bishop Irinej, on April 30th, 2017, the St. George North Canton community hosted a series of events in support of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, beginning first with an alumni gathering in their Event Center lounge sponsored by St. George Slava kumovi Ken and Jeanine Kozak. Surrounded by elegant decorations, priests came from parishes in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia to enjoy fellowship and share stories from their days at seminary.  The lounge opened for a general reception one-hour later with other clergy and laity joining the St. Vladimir’s alums for pre-banquet fellowship and hospitality offered by the parish kumovi.

Shortly thereafter, the guests entered the main hall to begin the Gala Fundraising Banquet in support of St. Vladimir’s Seminary.  The program began with the entrance of His Grace Bishop Irinej at 6pm, who was greeted by Kosovo Choir at the door.  After a brief welcome from the Master of Ceremonies, host-priest Fr. Aleksa Pavichevich, the Kosovo Choir offered the day’s first performance.  With powerful voices, they sang a selection of liturgical music and classic Serbian folk songs.

All guests were then given an opportunity to enjoy a meal prepared by the in-house caterers – Generations Catering. Named in honor of the generations of Orthodox servants who had long catered for the St. George community, the meal included a delicious selection of beef, chicken, sarma, and side accompaniments.

After the meal was finished, the program progressed to the first speaker of the evening, the Very Rev. Protopresbyter Michael Corbin, parish priest of St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Canton, Ohio, and St. Vladimir’s alumnus. He began with a reflection on the humility he learned at St. Vladimir’s, which started with his first community service assignment – washing dishes in the refectory. His love for St. Vladimir’s was evident in his genuine and thoughtful reflection.

Fr. Michael then introduced the first keynote speaker of the evening, the Very Rev. Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Chad Hatfield, President of St. Vladimir’s Seminary.  Fr. Chad spoke of the historical witness that St. Vladimir’s has offered with regard to the development of Orthodoxy in this country. In particular, Fr. Chad emphasized the importance that the seminary has continually placed on maintaining rigorous academic standards in conjunction with a full and robust liturgical life. Together, Fr. Chad offered that the totality of the seminary experience is formational – St. Vladimir’s strives to form seminarians that will bear witness to Christ in the context of this challenging, ever-changing world in which we live.

The middle of the program featured a Romanian violinist Cornel Zotta, joined for a duet by his daughter Anna. They began with a classical selection with “Sonata No. 2” by Jean-Marie Leclair, before picking it up a little with the famous violin duet, “Concerto for 2 Violins” by J.S. Bach. To the delight of the audience, they closed their performance with three Celtic pieces.

The Very Rev. Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Dan Rogich, parish priest of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Canton, then offered an introduction of the second keynote, His Grace Bishop Irinej.  Fr. Dan reflected on his experience at St. Vladimir’s while weaving in a beautiful reflection on His Grace’s seminary formation.

The audience then enjoyed a tremendous oration by His Grace, the Right Reverend Bishop Irinej.  His Grace reflected on his personal encounter with both St. Tikhon’s Seminary and St. Vladimir’s Seminary. In a particularly profound moment, His Grace shared the story of a blessing he received from St. Nikolai Velimirovic while still in his mother’s womb. He then transitioned his oration to the impact of St. Nikolai on the life and development of St. Vladimir’s Seminary, and, more generally, how St. Nikolai’s brilliant articulation and theology of ‘personhood’ impacted the great theologians of the modern age – and of the seminary. Although the talk was steeped in rich Orthodox theology, it was delivered in a manner that was accessible and impactful for all banquet guests.

His Grace Bishop Irinej was followed immediately by the Gracanica Folklore Group of St. Archangel Michael in Akron, Ohio, bringing their vigor and youthful energy to this gala event. Following their performance, while the children took a picture with their diocesan bishop, Gracanica’s choreographer Vinka Zoric was inspired to sing a beautiful Serbian folk hymn in a classic style.  After His Grace explained the origin of this music to the audience, Vinka volunteered to lead a class in teaching this style of music to those in her parish community.

Fr. Chad Hatfield returned to the stage to present a hand-painted icon of St. Vladimir to the St. George parish community, a gift that reflected the deep bond that exist between the parish and the seminary.  St. George sent four of its young men to St. Vladimir’s for their priestly formation:  Fr. Pete Pritza, Fr. John Zdinak, Fr. Dan Rogich, and Dn. Larry Soper. In addition, the bond strengthens each year as the community makes an annual pilgrimage to St. Vladimir’s for a Lenten reflection. Church Board President Nick Pribich came to the podium and spoke about the impact the recent trip to St. Vladimir’s made on him and all those who made the journey.

The evening wrapped up with a summary by Alex Machaskee, Executive Chair of the St. Vladimir’s Board of Trustees. He thanked all those present for their support of the seminary, and he thanked His Grace in particular for his support in the continued growth of the seminary community. He highlighted the historic connection between the Belgrade Theological Faculty and St. Vladimir’s, noting that with the leadership and support of His Grace Bishop Irinej this connection would develop into a profound, working relationship.

By evening’s end, and through the generosity of those gathered and those who sponsored the event, the seminary raised a significant amount of money. Those gathered left with an abundance of love and affection for this institution that has long been a witness for Jesus Christ and Orthodox Christianity.

Slava Celebration in North Canton

On Sunday, April 30th, His Grace Bishop Irinej made his first Archpastoral visit to his flock in North Canton, Ohio. The community gathered well in advance of the Divine Liturgy, prepared to welcome their hierarch as he entered the church. His Grace was first greeted by children from the parish who presented him with flowers, after which a procession of altar servers led him into the nave as the choir magnificently sang “The Angel Cried”.

After His Grace Bishop Irinej was vested, and prior to the start of service, parishioner Mark Resanovich was tonsured as a reader by His Grace Bishop Irinej.  His Grace reminded Mark of the great responsibility of readers – to be clear in voice as they fulfill the responsibility of their office.  Further, as the first step in ordained ranks, it is necessary for a reader to grow in Christ by engaging with Scripture daily. As Mark was then brought into the rank of Subdeacon, the community offered a resounding “Axios!” as the orarion was tied in cruciform around him.

Following Mark’s ordination to the Subdiaconate, Divine Liturgy began with the triumphant singing of “Hristos Voskrese”, the joyful proclamation of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Throughout the Liturgy, in fact, the great joy of our Lord’s resurrection permeated everything – the triumphant singing, the reading of the Gospel, and the reception of Holy Communion by the nearly 170 people gathered in the church.

Of particular delight to all those present, His Grace Bishop Irinej delivered an inspiring sermon about the radiant joy that permeates the Paschal season. As he reminded the community, “if we have joy, people will know we are Christian – and that comes from the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

At the end of service, the community made their festal Slava procession around the church before cutting the Slavski kolac.  This year’s kumovi were Ken and Jeanine Kozak, two individuals who have been faithful stewards of the St. George parish, and who are generous donors and benefactors to a multitude of Orthodox Christian charities.

When the service had completed, the celebration continued as His Grace Bishop Irinej bestowed Episcopal Grammatons on a number of individuals in the St. George parish.  Many years had passed since the dedicated stewards of the community were awarded such an honor. Receiving Grammatons that day were Board President Nick Pribich and family, who routinely visit those who are ill and who helped carry the church through its one-year-absence of priestly leadership; Ken Kozak and family, caring Orthodox Christians who are not only generous stewards of their parish, but also of many Orthodox and Christian charities world-wide; Jaga Radosevic, the former head of catering at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church, who together with her parish family gave many hours to raising funds for parish and hall operation; and Stephen Winovich, choir director since the age of 16 and dedicated organizer of services and rehearsals.

Serving with His Grace Bishop Irinej at this joyous service were the Very Rev. Protopresbyter-Stavrophor Dennis Pavichevich of St. Nicholas in Brookfield, IL; the Very Rev. Protpresbyter-Stavrophor Dr. Chad Hatfield, President of St. Vladimir’s Seminary; the Rev. Aleksa Pavichevich, parish priest of St. George in North Canton; and the Rev. Deacon Zeljko Jurisic of St. Archangel Michael in Akron.

PASCHA at St George

This year’s Pascha at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church was a joyous celebration of our Lord’s resurrection!  Beginning with Paschal Matins, the community gathered in a dark parish and solemnly began the Nocturn service, concluding with the singing of the 9th Ode of the Canon.  When the congregation sang, “I shall arise”, the burial shroud of our Lord was lifted from the tomb and as Fr. Aleksa intoned, “When thou didst descend to death O Life Immortal…”, the shroud was taken into the sanctuary to remain on the altar until Ascension.

From the darkness of the Nocturn service, the community went in procession around the church singing of the Resurrection of Christ.  Upon reentry, the fully-illumined church was adorned with flowers. Fr. Aleksa proclaimed “Christ is Risen!” in several languages as the Canons were being sung – the languages representing the various ethnicities of our very diverse parish.

The following morning, the church, full of the faithful, marked the conclusion of Holy Week by singing the festal troparion of “Christ is Risen” and receiving unity with Christ through Holy Communion. During his homily, Fr. Aleksa reminded the congregation that life has defeated death and, as a result, our lives and what we do with them now have meaning. What we do, and how we do it, no longer dies and turns to dust eternally – it is ours, and we keep it with us. The service concluded with a joyous celebration at coffee hour with the breaking of eggs and sharing of blessed baskets.  

Christ is Risen! Indeed He is Risen!

Pascha 2017