Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Orthodixie

Home
Eastern Orthodox
Sons of St George (Farewell Address)

Sons of St George (Farewell Address)

Last updated on: September 27, 2010 at 6:17 am by Fr. Joseph Huneycutt

Sons of St George (Farewell Address) 2010-09-27T06:17:00-05:00 Fr. Joseph Huneycutt

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

On my final Sunday (9/26/10) at St George – Houston, I’d thought that fashioning my farewell remarks around previous clergy would prevent my succumbing to side-swiping emotions. I was wrong; it was difficult. Below — sans quiver, tear and lump — is the text of the address.

Click on the “Son of St George” links for more info.

This is my last Sunday as a priest at St George, however I shall always be a Son of St George. With that in mind, I wanted to say a few words about your sons.

Being a Son of St George is a blessing beyond words. This is a special place. In trying to come up with words to define this “specialness” of St George, I have failed. But, I can say this … considering that it is love that saves: St George is a salvific oasis.

It’s not just the People — it’s also the Space, the beautiful Temple wherein the people are formed.

People and Space. Which comes first? I believe they both shape each other.

The Space, if one concentrates on any one aspect, is nothing spectacular.

The People, under individual scrutiny, would prove to be normal and ordinary. (That’s a good thing.)

But, when you combine all the visual aspects of the Space, working together, and all the People blended by love (Space and People) – it becomes a special tapestry, an extraordinary thing. It is St George’s gift.

It is not a gift to the Church … for it is the Church.

Rather, it is, as we say in the Divine Liturgy, “Thine own of Thine own …” offered to God, whereupon it is returned … redeemed.

Now, I would like to turn to the offspring of this Parish: the Sons of St George. Some of these men were baptized and nurtured here; others, like me, became Sons by adoption.

Click on the “Son of St George” links for more info.

I shall not mention all the men who have served here, only the ones whom I have met, only one of whom has passed on to life eternal, one whose name is almost synonymous with St George: Archimandrite John Namie. Fr John’s legacy lives on here, through the wonderful stories you all share. This Son of St George also left his indelible mark on another salvific oasis in Pennsylvania known as Antiochian Village (and the other camping programs, like our own Camp St Raphael, which have grown up from the seeds Fr John planted). May his memory be eternal!

Speaking of Pennsylvania, another Son of St George — Tommy Joseph, now Bishop THOMAS of Charleston, Oakland, and the Mid-Atlantic — now serves the diocese which surrounds Antiochian Village.

Not long after you cross into the Republic of Texas, if you’re traveling from the East, you’ll bump into a Son of St George at a parish which was established by St Raphael of Brooklyn; that would be Archpriest Michel Pavez.

Travel to our State Capitol and you’ll find a thriving parish adjacent to the University of Texas, St Elias, where a Son of St George labors with love, Archpriest David Barr.

In another college town, Norman — home to the University of Oklahoma — a Son of St George, Archpriest Justin McFeeters, will, next month, host Bishop BASIL as they open the doors of their new temple dedicated to the Great Feast of Our Lord’s Ascension.

But, as some sort of fate would have it, Pennsylvania (particularly Pittsburgh) is never far from St George. Archpriest Joseph Shahda, not only shepherded this community during some of its most exciting times of transition and growth, but without his labors in the mission field our Diocese would be smaller, our witness weaker. As he prepares to become a Jiddo, he is remembered as not only a Son of St George, but a grandfather already to many.

I hope you will forgive me if I don’t say many words about “Mr Pittsburgh” my friend and boss Archpriest John Salem. That may seem unfair — but, you see, he’s still the Father here. And we all thank God for that! Many years, Abouna.

Recently, a truly remarkable thing happened in this Space among this People: a literal Son of St George was ordained to the Priesthood and placed just north of us in a parish which was, itself, born of St George — Fr Anthony Baba of the Church of St Anthony the Great in Spring.

And, next month our former Youth Director, Deacon Michael Sakran, another life-long Son of St George will be ordained, in this Space among this People, to the Holy Priesthood.

May God grant eternal memory to Fr John Namie, and may He grant these remaining Sons of St George many, many years of fruitful ministry.

I thank you all for letting me (and my family) be a part of, forgive me this, such a Winning Team.

Which brings me to Deacon Symeon Kees. Symeon, or as we used to say “Dana”, is every bit a literal Son of St George. He has been raised from his “birth” – that is, from the time of his conversion to Orthodoxy – by the loving oasis that is St George. As a Son of St George he has served as choir member, chanter, altar boy, teacher, catechist, bookstore manager, and deacon. Thank God y’all are finally going to give him something to do! 🙂

I know that you will, as you have done for me and all of these men, bestow on him something that, to my knowledge, is unique to St Church Church; that is, you will love him into becoming a better man, a better husband, a better priest as he serves this Space and this People.

Finally, I would like to say that, in a very real sense: All of us men gathered here today are Sons of St George – not just those of us who are ordained. And I think all men, Sons of St George, will agree:

It’s the women of St George that truly help to make this Space and this People so very, very blessed.

To all:

THANK YOU and MANY YEARS!

IMAGE: The granddaughter of Fr Thomas Hopko placing a red egg on the grave of Fr John Namie, Pascha 2008.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

September 21, 2010

Truly Odd and Truly [Pac] Man

Next Post

September 29, 2010 Wicked, Sick, Bad and Phooey

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month November 2016 October 2016 August 2016 May 2016 April 2016 January 2016 September 2015 August 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does Hebrews define as "confidence in what we hope for"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Salvation Love Righteousness Faith