The OCA

[尼古拉前执事]

Saint Mary Magdalene Orthodox Church (OCA) in New York:

[OrthodoxyOrDeath]

Is that a female altar boy I see behind the "iconostas"?

[Joshua F]

Is that a female altar boy I see behind the "iconostas"?

I think that was implied by the title of the post... "OCA Altar Girls!?!?!?!?!?!"

I wonder if it's easier to rationalize girls into the altar when there seems to be so little distinction between the altar area and the nave? It really raises the issue of why there needs to be an iconostasis at all, and what the original purpose of the iconostasis was.

[OrthodoxyOrDeath]

Joshua Fraese,

I really don't have much to say. This is a simple manifestation of the corrosive path they have chosen; if overturning the decisions of ecumenical councils and accepting the "baptism" of heretics does not shock them or it leaves them indifferent, I doubt this would be much of a change from that.

http://www.saintmarymagdalen.com/yakov.htm

I think this church may be another new skete for the OCA - they have icons of "St." Francis, theologically incorrect icons of the Visitation and others...
http://www.saintmarymagdalen.com/eileen/eileen.htm

I really feel sad that there are people who have such energy to devote but not the Shepherds to guide them.

[Ephraem]

It is my understanding the women were members of the diaconate up until the 12th Century.

How and why was the traditional practice abandoned? Perhaps more importantly, how can the abandonment of the practice of tonsuring women as deacons be justified in light of a tradition going back to St. Paul?

Am I mistaken?

[Anastasios]

Deaconesses are one thing: there is historical precedent for it. But female altar servers have no place in history to my knowledge.

Anastasios

[尼古拉前执事]

On the female Altarboy, remember that the GOA has female Readers.

On Deaconesses, as Romiosini would probably argue, in light of his Western Rite argument, it is a discarded tradition so why bring it back?

We should first look at why it was used and why it was discarded. First, for clarity, the deaconess was not a femal deacon. In the early Church, post-Constantine, Catechumens lived at the Church. There was a house for men and one for women. At 'Catechumens Depart' they departed. Who catchized the women in their commune? The Deaconess. Also back then everyone was Baptized naked, so a Deaconess would also have the job of holding up the sheet to block the priest from viewing the naked woman and making sure that the one being Baptizd would bee completely immersed 3 times.

Aprevious thread on this very topic can be found at http://euphrosynoscafe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=189