RTOC parish having priest this weekend

[Barbara]

The RTOC parish south of San Francisco may not have been mentioned on this site.
I am in a rush and did not search to add to a preexisting thread, but
to alert any TOC people in Northern California who may be interested,
that Fr Joseph Sunderland will be serving this weekend.

We have priests only around once a month or so, usually Fr Joseph or Fr Oleg Gritsenko.

Recently, we have been discussing ways of conducting outreach. It's a problem for many TOC parishes
because they are not going to advertise, obviously.
How to get the word out, then ?

Therefore, having seen other such announcements,
it occurred to me to post this here in case anyone hears and wishes to attend.

The address is on the RTOC-Trenton website.

Archbishop Tikhon visited earlier this year, attracting people from even World Orthodox
jurisdictions. The famous writer on Russia, Professor John Dunlop attended to be able to meet the
Archbishop, though his wife's family is all in the OCA, he said.

[Maria]

The RTOC parish south of San Francisco may not have been mentioned on this site.
I am in a rush and did not search to add to a preexisting thread, but
to alert any TOC people in Northern California who may be interested,
that Fr Joseph Sunderland will be serving this weekend.

We have priests only around once a month or so, usually Fr Joseph or Fr Oleg Gritsenko.

Recently, we have been discussing ways of conducting outreach. It's a problem for many TOC parishes
because they are not going to advertise, obviously.
How to get the word out, then ?

Therefore, having seen other such announcements,
it occurred to me to post this here in case anyone hears and wishes to attend.

The address is on the RTOC-Trenton website.

Archbishop Tikhon visited earlier this year, attracting people from even World Orthodox
jurisdictions. The famous writer on Russia, Professor John Dunlop attended to be able to meet the
Archbishop, though his wife's family is all in the OCA, he said.

Do you have any links, addresses, dates, or times?

[Matthew]

St. John of Shanghai Orthodox Church

282 Harbor Way, Unit C
South San Francisco, CA 94080
Served by Western American Deanery clergy.

Telephone: 415-681-9973

Website or Email:
It seems they do not have any officially designated website or contact email address.
Perhaps you should phone first and get the email of members who are presently active
in that parish that has yet to secure a permanent resident priest.

[Barbara]

Yes, you definitely do. They are not that well set up yet to have email or any special
online website only devoted to the parish.

There is a monthly calendar which one can pick up at Church, so members know when to go, but
it's not clear for any new inquirers or even visitors from other parts of the country.

We had a subdeacon who visited for a week or so last summer from back East, for example, but he knew people, so he had all the information.

Added : you know, this is the common situation with the Russian TOCs.
"PR" is not the strength. People just assume that if you want to be there, you will be there, and
no one needs to maintain a website or keep it up to date !

I kind of like it, because as I see it, the more that a church or parish is flashy with a splashy OCA-like website, the
less traditional, the less genuine it is.

These are authentic.

[Barbara]

There WAS a permanent priest, a superb one. Fr Alexey Mikrikov, but various things happened
and he left for an extended visit to his family in Australia and that was it.

A motivating force behind the establishment of this parish is also moving to Australia, if she
hasn't already left.

So things changed over time, and it is very fortunate to have these 2 priests, who are kind enough to make the trip
every other month, or about.

[Matthew]

you know, this is the common situation with the Russian TOCs. "PR" is not the strength. People just assume that if you want to be there, you will be there, and no one needs to maintain a website or keep it up to date! I kind of like it, because as I see it, the more that a church or parish is flashy with a splashy OCA-like website, the less traditional, the less genuine it is. These are authentic.

Yes, there is some truth to that, but I still like a beautifully designed website!

[Maria]

you know, this is the common situation with the Russian TOCs. "PR" is not the strength. People just assume that if you want to be there, you will be there, and no one needs to maintain a website or keep it up to date! I kind of like it, because as I see it, the more that a church or parish is flashy with a splashy OCA-like website, the less traditional, the less genuine it is. These are authentic.

Yes, there is some truth to that, but I still like a beautifully designed website!

I agree with Symeon. Fr. Steven Allen of the GOC-Kallinikos TOC jurisdiction has a wonderfully designed website that has attracted a lot of inquirers.

We are to be salt and light to this perverse generation. It is dangerous to be so isolated like HOCNA. I cannot understand why one would want to hide under a bushel. Are not we going to be asked by Christ if we instructed the ignorant, fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, clothed the naked, visited the prisoners, etc.? Some folks in True Orthodox jurisdictions act like prayer, secret fasting, and secret almsgiving are the only three things that matter in the spiritual life. Not so. Read the New Testament especially the Gospel according to St. Matthew.

If secret fasting is so important, then we should not be having a shared meal after the Divine Liturgy during the fasting season. Yet we do share our meals whether it is during a fasting season or not. Sharing meals was a common practice in the New Testament (cf. the Epistles of St. Paul).