Boyadzhik Commemorates Victims of Turkish Massacre

Yesterday marked the 135th anniversary of the slaughter of the villagers of Boyadzhik by the Ottoman Turks and was celebrated by Metropolitan Ioanikiy of Sliven with a memorial in Boyadzhik's Church of St. Demetrius. The names of the victims of the massacre have been forwarded by the Eparchy of Sliven to the Bulgarian Orthodox Holy Synod to be glorified as New Martyrs. More (in Bulgarian) here.

Orthodox Church in Montenegro Rejects Proposal of a Change in Its Status

The Orthodox Church in Montenegro has released a statement criticizing the recent proposals of a major Montenegrin political party regarding changing the status of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which is currently part of the Pech Patriarchate based in Belgrade. Among other things the statement notes the irony of an avowedly secular political party making proposals vis-a-vis changing the affiliation of a purely religious organization. More (in Serbian) here.

Update: A good English-language article surveying the issue can be found here.

Foundation of New Cathedral Laid in Tbilisi

Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II (Ghudushauri-Shiolashvili) of Mtskheta-Tbilisi has laid the foundation for a new cathedral dedicated to the Mother of God the Gatekeeper (also known as the Iveron Icon) in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. Participating in the service were Archbishop Feognost (Guzikov) of Sergiev Posad, auxiliary to the Moscow Patriarchate and superior of Holy Trinity Lavra, and representatives of the other Local Orthodox Churches. More (in Russian) here.

Quote of the Day: Fr. Alexander Elchaninov

"In our present life everything is so uncertain, insecure, painful, almost intolerable, that death in no way appears as something terrifying. I often think of death as a calm and luminous haven, where there is no sickness, no sadness and, in particular, no parting. When, during morning and evening prayers, I pray for my loved ones in minutes of sadness, I am almost glad to think that I will soon be with them, and their life seems more certain than our phantom existence."

From page 117 of "The Diary of a Russian Priest," a posthumous compilation of the notes of Fr. Alexander Elchaninov, a Russian Orthodox priest who served in the south of France after the Bolshevik Revolution.

St. Irene the Great-Martyr

Christ is risen! Joyous feast! St. Irene was a renowned missionary and virgin-martyr of the 4th century Church who converted many to Orthodox Christianity and endured great sufferings for her Lord before being translated to heaven near Ephesus in Asia Minor. More on her life can be found here. May her blessing and prayer be with us all!

Elder Cleopa Still Heals, Works Miracles

There are growing reports of miracles being worked through the prayers of reposed Elder Cleopa (Ilie) of Sihastria. More here. Hat tip to Mystagogy for posting this!

Moscow Patriarchate Rejects Abkhazian Orthodox Attempt to Organize a Metropolia at New Athos

The Moscow Patriarchate has rejected an attempt by the Abkhazian Orthodox clergy and laity to establish a metropolitanate for the Church of Abkhazia, reaffirming the necessity of an existing hierarchy for the organization of an independent Orthodox Church. More here.

Armenian Orthodox Church in Georgia Remains Unregistered

The status of the Armenian Orthodox Church in Georgia remains unresolved as the government has still not registered the Armenian Orthodox Diocese of Georgia or discussed with the Georgian Orthodox Church the return of occupied Armenian Orthodox churches to the Diocese of Georgia. More here.

Serb Referendum Canceled in Bosnia-Herzegovina

A referendum in Bosnia-Herzegovina's Serb Republic over the legitimacy of the country's federal courts, which have been accused of being biased against the country's Serb residents, has been canceled under pressure from the European Union. More here.

Jobs: Winnipeg Cathedral Seeking Choir Director

Holy Protection Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is seeking a new choir director with a knowledge of both Ukrainian Orthodox and Ukrainian folk music. More here.

Kiev Theological Academy/Seminary Choir Visits France

Archbishop Antoniy (Pakanich) of Boryspil', auxiliary to Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan) of Kiev, is leading a pilgrimage to holy places in France and Monaco in conjunction with a tour of the Choir of the Kiev Theological Seminary and Academy in the country. More (in Ukrainian) here.

Grabarka Monastery Hosts 32nd Youth Pilgrimage

The 32nd annual Polish Orthodox youth pilgrimage was held this past weekend at the Mount Grabarka Monastery of Sts. Mary and Martha in eastern Poland with the participation of clergymen of the Polish and Belorussian Orthodox Churches. More (in Russian) here.

Batak Celebrates Its New Martyrs

Celebrations in Bulgaria honoring the recently glorified New Martyrs of Batak have concluded. Representatives of the Constantinopolitan, Alexandrian, Antiochian, Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian, Romanian, Cypriot, Greek, Albanian, Polish, Czechoslovak, and American Orthodox Orthodox Churches participated in the celebratory services, while the Bulgarian government, to mark the occasion, returned Holy Resurrection Church in Batak to the care of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. More (in Bulgarian) here.

Patriarch Bartholomew Visits Bithynia's Ruined Churches

Patriarch Bartholomew (Arhondonis) of Constantinople has undertaken a tour of the ruined churches of the ancient Anatolian region of Bithynia in what today is Turkey. Among other places Patriarch Bartholomew visited the Church of St. George in Moudania, now site of the town government's administrative offices, and the Chinolakkou Monastery of St. Stephen in Triglia, which is now a mosque. More (in Romanian) here.

Synod Abroad Releases Epistle

The Synod Abroad of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR) has released an epistle in commemoration of the anniversaries of the ROCOR's organization and the reunion of the Moscow Patriarchate and the ROCOR. The full text can be found here.

St. Monica of Tagaste

Christ is risen! Joyous feast! St. Monica was the mother of one of the great Fathers of the Orthodox West, St. Augustine of Hippo, and her prayers are credited with bringing him to faith. More on her life can be found here. May her blessing and prayers be with us all!

Two Levels of Autocephaly?

Patriarch Bartholomew (Arhondonis) of Constantinople is being accused of indirectly laying the foundations for the creation of two levels of autocephaly within Orthodoxy by distinguishing between the Orthodox Churches recognized by the councils of the Roman Empire (whose first hierarchs have been invited to a synaxis later this year) and those Orthodox Churches organized outside the borders of the Roman Empire. More (in Greek) here.

Romanian Orthodox Holy Synod to Elect New Archbishop of Alba Iulia, Discuss Excommunication

In addition to its excommunication by the Church of Jerusalem the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church will be considering other recent developments in world Orthodoxy and the election of the next Archbishop of Alba Iulia. More (in Romanian) on the latter here.

OCA Dallas Cathedral Holds Town Hall Meeting with Bishop Nikon

Bishop Nikon (Liolin) of Boston and the Albanians, locum tenens of the American Orthodox Diocese of Dallas and Southeastern America, has held a town hall meeting at St. Seraphim's Cathedral in Dallas to discuss the rather numerous concerns of the cathedral parish regarding its future, the future of the Diocese of Dallas, and the place of Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington in the American Orthodox Church. More here.

Historic Wooden Church Burns Down

A historic 18th century wooden church has burned down in Zalyzhzhia, Ukraine. More here.

Free Greek School to Open in North London

Plans have been announced for the organization of a free Greek Orthodox school for north London's Greek community. More here.

Turkish Minister Visits Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of Constantinople

Turkey's minister for talks with the European Union has visited the seat of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Turkey, St. Mary's Church in Constantinople, and met with Metropolitan Mor Philoxenos (Cetin), head of the patriarchal Vicariate of Constantinople, to discuss the place of Turkey's native Suryoyo minority in Turkish life. More here.

Coptic, Ethiopian Orthodox Churches Discuss Relations

Pope Shenouda III (al-Suriani) of Alexandria has met with a delegation from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church to discuss relations between the latter and the Coptic Orthodox Church as well as recent developments in Egyptian and Ethiopian relations generally. More here.

Park Opened in Memory of Hrant Dink

A park has been opened in the Turkish town of Akdeniz in memory of murdered Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. More here.

Kiev Patriarchate Disciplines Metropolitan of Kryvyi Rih and Bohorodsk

In its recent meeting the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate removed its Metropolitan Adrian of Kryvyi Rih from his diocese in Ukraine because of his attempt to join the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (which refused his request). Metropolitan Adrian remains head of the Eparchy of Bohorodsk that the Kiev Patriarchate maintains in central Russia. More here.