Lord, I Call Upon Thee, Hear Me

Mother Angelina (French) and Sister Helene (Krenitsky), members of the Orthodox Monastery of the Transfiguration, Ellwood City, PA led a Retreat on Saturday April 2, during Great Lent, at the Orthodox Church of the Holy Cross in Medford, NJ. Entitled, Lord, I Call Upon Thee, Hear Me, they examined how daily prayer (Mother Angelina) prepares one for and is reinforced by the Church’s liturgical life (Sister Helene). The group of 50 participants from various deanery communities appreciated their well-organized presentations, obviously rooted in study and personal experience. In anticipation of their Retreat, they recommended Psalm texts used during Great Lent that became the basis for a Daily Lenten Reader that was distributed in print and digital forms.

The Monastery has had the gift of being the home parish for Fr. Thomas, of blessed memory, and Matushka Anne Hopko in their retirement. The monastery had the blessing to learn much from Fr. Thomas and also were a source of encouragement, support, and daily liturgical life for father and Matushka.

Following Sunday’s Liturgy the monastics offered a more informal opportunity for questions and answers on the topics of vocation and the spiritual life. Representatives from the Penn State OCF, who were traveling back to State College after a weekend project at the New Jersey shore, were also present. Sister Helene, an engineering major at Penn State and indebted to the formation she received as a member of the OCF, was particularly grateful to engage with the students.

It is hoped that this Retreat will initiate a fruitful relationship between the Holy Cross parish and the Monastic community. Women from Holy Cross and from Annunciation Church, Brick, NJ will visit the Monastery for a Retreat in the early summer.