4 minute read
OUR ROOTS RUN DEEP: A SMALL AND MIGHTY DIOCESE
Cindy Hayes
With parishes that have humble beginnings in the migration of the late 1800s and mission churches that were started nearly a hundred years later, the Diocese of Worcester and New England (DOWNE) is a small but mighty Diocese of 11 parishes (10 in Massachusetts and 1 in Rhode Island). The founders were the brave men and women who came here from Syria and Lebanon in the late 1800s to establish a better life for their families. Many began their parishes after founding Men’s Societies and Ladies Auxiliary groups, worshiping in homes, and relying on temporary pastors to minister to the faithful.
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Their commitment and dedication to God built these churches, beginning in the year 1900 (St. George, Boston) and the creation of 8 more churches in the area in the following twenty-five years. Since then, we have added 3 churches (1 Eastern and 2 Western Rite), and are looking to expand our footprint with more mission churches for the future.
As we are a smaller diocese, we are able to gather more easily to worship, have regular meetings, visit, and enjoy each other’s festivals and bazaars. Each year we have had a Reception Celebrating Vocations, the seminarians and students who are studying in our local area to do the work of the church. We have a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy to share the Blessing of the Waters at Epiphany. We also have a Lenten Retreat and a Family Day, which are always so well-attended. Our Parish Life Conference brings all of our parishes together. At this culmination of the school year and celebration of our Church Schools, scholarships are awarded to teens going on to college. It is truly a blessing to be able to be together as a family, to share our ideas and faith. And although this year of the pandemic has been a challenge for all of our parishes, the work of the Antiochian Women of DOWNE has continued both locally and globally. We not only support our North American Board (NAB) Antiochian Women’s Project, “Fulfilling the Vision: Building a Cathedral at the Antiochian Village,” but our Diocese and parishes are all supporting children in the Middle East, either through Children’s Relief Fund, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), or directly to the orphanage at Saydnaya and Aid to Beirut.
Here on the home front, we are also blessed with the support that the Antiochian Women give to the Diocese and their parishes. This is so not only during Ladies Month in March, but throughout the year, as the women serve on their Parish Councils and Vestry, support Church Schools, teach, chant, sing, and support a myriad of programs in our local communities. They also serve on the Diocese Council, and in the Diocese Orthodox Christian Witness program.
While many of our chapters have slowed down their activities or even suspended them during the pandemic, they have still remained active by maintaining support for Children’s Relief Fund, IOCC, Project ZOE, and food pantries. They have made masks, scarves, and hats for people in local homeless shelters, and brought them toiletries as well. They have sold cookbooks and prepared food for Food Fairs to raise funds for their church and their local outreach programs. We have parishes that are supporting large-scale expansions of their churches with interior renovations, adding a narthex or creating new space in a new building.
We have been coping through the pandemic by holding virtual events. This year our annual Lenten Retreat was held as a hybrid event, being offered both live and over the Internet. Those attending not only enjoyed the company of their friends and families, but were thankful for the beautiful retreat presentation and vesper service that followed in the newly renovated St. George Church, Norwood. Dr. Gregory Abdalah, Pastoral Assistant at St. George Orthodox Church in Phoenix, Arizona, and Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology at St. Vladamir’s Seminary, was the keynote speaker. The topic for the retreat was “Don’t Stop Believin’: A Journey to the Kingdom of Heaven.” In this wonderful presentation he reminded us that at every Divine Liturgy we are invited to be truly present, not only in the Liturgy, but in the life of the Church. This most important message speaks to our core beliefs as Orthodox Christians. Christ’s gift to us is His Church; our purpose is to serve God and to build up the Body of Christ, to accept His gifts and to share His Word with the world around us!
While many of us have begun to receive the vaccine, we will still rely on masks and livestream services. Our Parish Life Conference will be held as a hybrid event, with both live and virtual attendance this year, and will be offered from St. George Cathedral, Worcester. Let this be the time we are able to get back to our normal routines and be present in the life of the church.
It is a pleasure to share this glimpse into the Diocese of Worcester and New England, we are a diocese that is small and mighty. Our roots run deep, and God has blessed us abundantly.
In His Service, Cindy Hayes President, DOWNE
