Resolution of the Great Lenten Clergy Retreat of the Diocese of Chicago & Mid-America

Des Plaines (Chicago), IL

March 6-8, 2017

In the second week of Great Lent the clergy of the Chicago and Mid-America Diocese met at Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral in Des Plaines, Illinois. The retreat began with the service of Holy Unction, led by our archpastor, His Eminence Archbishop Peter.

His Eminence opened the working session the next day by sharing his remarks on the life of our diocese since our Fall 2016 retreat. He also recounted his recent travel to Ukraine and Russia. Vladyka was the guest of Metropolitan Philip of Poltava and toured his diocese and several other holy places of Ukraine. While in St. Petersburg, he concluded a partnership agreement between St. Petersburg Theological Academy and our diocesan Pastoral School.

We learned of several forthcoming events:

• The 100th anniversary of the election of St. Tikhon to the restored patriarchate which will be marked with the visit of a reliquary with his relics to the Chicago cathedral on the Nativity of the Mother of God, September 19-21, 2017. St. Tikhon is one of the great choir of Russian new martyrs who suffered for their faith under the godless authorities who came to power a century ago through the Russian revolution.

• The 125th anniversary of the first Orthodox Divine Liturgy in Chicago, to be marked by a festal pan-Orthodox liturgy on September 30, 2017.

• Festivities in connection with the recent glorification of St. Mardary, who was the Serbian Orthodox bishop in Chicago, to be held at St. Sava monastery in Liberyville, IL from July 14-16, 2017.

Protopresbyter Peter Heers delivered the keynote address, which examined the problematic ecclesiology in the documents approved by the hierarchs gathered on Crete last summer. We call on our fellow clergy and parishioners to deepen their understanding of the true nature of the Church.

Discussion groups were held with Fr. Peter Heers as well as Fr. Paul Jannakos, who spoke on the Orthodox pastoral approach to drug and alcohol addictions, and Anastasia Klimzo, who shared the way one parish in a rural Russian village has created a vibrant community.

We also reiterated the need for parishes to support their pastors financially and discussed a scholarship for college students to attend OCF retreats. Fr. Daniel Marshall summarized the life of Olga Michael, pious matushka from rural Alaska whose intercessions have been invoked with miraculous healings.

We concluded with our annual celebration of the hierarchical Presanctified Divine Liturgy. We ask that you continue to pray for the health of his Eminence Archbishop Alypy.

In the spirit of love we will meet again in October for our fall retreat.

Asking for God's help during this Great Lenten journey to Our Lord's Bright Resurrection, we remain,

The clergy of the Diocese of Chicago and Mid-America.

February 23/March 8, 2017

Hieromartyr Polycarp of Smyrna