Questions about RTOC in America

[joasia]

Sinok,

I hear your frustration. I don't think about it on a political level. I know many ROCOR-A members who know about our humble parish, but they choose not to come because of their own personal decisions whatever the cause may be. But, they are all aware that we exist. It's just a matter of time and spiritual enlightenment. We can't nag them. We can just be patient and hope for the best. On the flip side, I know of former members of my parish who left because of prideful issues which they couldn't fight because they couldn't humble themselves with repentance. They went back to ROCOR-A and the OCA. This is spiritual warfare on all fronts. I still pray for them.

[Barbara]

Sinok, I have to say from a partisan point of view that I am relieved that the parish was not from RTOC.
I didn't look at the link yet, but I wonder whether it was a major Rocor-MP parish there ?? That's really interesting news.
Thanks for bringing it out here for discussion.
You are right, though. We need to make RTOC more visible, though Joasia says everyone knows about it. But to have them weigh it seriously as an option to transfer to is a difficult task. Rocor-A has more internet presence with a thriving site, InternetSobor. We need something like that to inform people about our doings as well as news items of interest for TOC people.

[Barbara]

About your friends in Moscow's statements, they must not have seen too much of this country on their vacations if they think that there is just a little wrong here !
I agree with Joasia's post in the thread about Roman veneration of statues. She summed it all up extremely well.
Sounds like your Muscovite friends are not really keeping up on life here in this country. If one goes to a Club Med for a week, fine, all looks pleasant, even idyllic. But living for any amount of time in any town or city reveals the very dark side of the way the country has gone.
Perhaps all the tattooed and earringed people are common over there now so they haven't remarked on those eyesores ?!

I have not visited for a long time, but was getting nostalgic just a day or two ago. I looked at a Children's Dentistry office with a brightly colored sign to attract kids. What i saw was some Russian church domes ! I caved in and took out a travel guide to Russia, the latest, so as to see what has changed and whether travel over there is easier or harder for the foreigner these days. Also to catch up on monastery developments. So far, the latter have notably been skipped over by the authors in favor of a superficial glossover of history, restaurant recommendations and the like. I doubt I would go, but it is good to find out what the visa requirements are these days.

[сынок]

About your friends in Moscow's statements, they must not have seen too much of this country on their vacations if they think that there is just a little wrong here !

They were being 'polite' in their comment. They absolutely love the freedom and USA. What they don't fully understand is the amount of civil disobedience, the loose lips and overall bad moral behavior of certain segments of society. They see it and can't believe the high level of tolerance from authorities. As you know, they too have their own problems with the same demographic and more. Remember 'kitty riot' - the girl band and what they did in a Russian Orthodox Church??? Look it up if you've forgotten. It's all so sick and plummeting fast for all of us. My friends have everything over there. They say there are no shortages of anything - again, our media spinning things. He has a Harley-Davidson and works as a bovine veterinarian. She is an Environmental professor in a Moscow 'college'. They own there own humble home as of last year ... no more apartments.

Anyways; yes, RTOC internet presence is a bit pathetic. Fr. John at Holy Dormition has built a beautiful in-home parish yet their web site is rarely updated. Most of the parishes or missions listed have absolutely NO web site at all. Same with Bishop Stefan's main site - it too, is very rarely updated. It would be embarrassing to try to inform someone about RTOC by sending them to any of the web sites. One of the RTOC higher-ups must understand the value of the internet and use it as a tool .. don't forget .. there is only ONE first impression.

I too, would absolutely love to go to Russia and parts of Ukraine to see Orthodox architecture. But mostly, I want to find the villages of my family background. Mother's was totally destroyed in WW2 but was near Orsha Belarus and dad's was in Kaluga Oblast - a town named Spas-Demensk, which also was occupied by Nazi troops for a lot of the war. I'm sure I will find them someday in my dreams...
Just curious again but is Vladimir Moss still with RTOC? East or West?

[Barbara]

Much thanks for your vivacious reply< Sinok.
You know that is one of the only things some of the TOC people lack : a certain enjoyment of the good in life and
ability to be jovial. Usually there is [of course understandably, due to persecution and a justifiably dim view of how things are headed in the world as well as in reaction to alarming encroachments of World Orthodox Churches] too much of pessimism with little spark.
I like reading your comments very much because you sound quite alive, with that spark of joie de vivre. Not to say I don't enjoy the comments of all other frequent posters here : I surely do vastly appreciate their very sober contributions to my knowledge and alertness about what's going on in the Church world and outside it.

Whereabouts is your father's town in Kaluga oblast ? Anywhere near Kozelsk and Optina by chance ? From reading the Elders' Lives, i have become familiar with a few of those towns, but hardly all of them ! Perhaps a pilgrim was traveling through a village or a visitor to one of the Elders was from the region, or if nobility, had estates in Kaluga district.

[Barbara]

As far as internet presence, my parish does have a website now ; a quite good one. But almost none of the others do.

In the East Coast area with which you are more familiar, it seems like the Stafford, VA parish is about the only active one.
I forget to check it, but you're pointing out that it is not updated often.

What can we do about this problem ? I agree, it is delicate to approach Bishop Stefan himself or any of the Priests who may have other priorities for their time, such as smoothing out the rough edges in parish life, as is inevitable everywhere.

[Barbara]

Yes of course I - dimly - remember that noxious "band" performing its hellish stunts in Christ the Savior Cathedral, Moscow.
Ha ! I would shudder to look them up, for I am sure they have been awarded every Leftist-Feminist "peace prize' in existence.
Maybe a few additional decorations were invented for this new category and bestowed upon the -- well - one could say, witches.
Are the devils still doing time in Siberia, do you happen to know ?