Who is our Metropolitan?
His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada
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His
Beatitude Tikhon Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America
and Canada was born in 1966, the eldest of three children born to
Francois and Elizabeth Mollard.
After
brief periods living in Connecticut, France, and Missouri, he and his
family settled in Reading, PA, where he graduated from Wyomissing High
School in 1984. In 1988, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in
French and Sociology from Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster,
PA, after which he moved to Chicago.
In
1989, he was received into the Orthodox Church from Episcopalianism
and, in the fall of the same year, he began studies at Saint Tikhon’s
Seminary, South Canaan, PA. One year later, he entered the monastic
community at Saint Tikhon’s Monastery as a novice.
He
was awarded the Master of Divinity degree from Saint Tikhon’s Seminary
in 1993, after which he was appointed Instructor in Old Testament and
subsequently Senior Lecturer in Old Testament, teaching Master level
courses in the Prophets and the Psalms and Wisdom Literature. He also
served as an Instructor in the seminary’s Extension Studies program,
offering courses in the lives of the Old Testament saints, the
liturgical use of the Old Testament, and the Old Testament in
patristic literature.
He
collaborated with Igumen Alexander [Golitzin] – now Bishop of Toledo
and the Bulgarian Diocese of the Orthodox Church in America – in the
publication of “The Living Witness of the Holy Mountain” by Saint
Tikhon’s Seminary Press.
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In
1995, he was tonsured to the Lesser Schema with the name Tikhon, in
honor of Saint Patriarch Tikhon, Enlightener of North America. Later
that year, he was ordained to the Holy Diaconate and Holy Priesthood
at Saint Tikhon’s Monastery. In 1998, he was elevated to the rank of
Igumen, and in 2000, to the rank of Archimandrite.
In
December 2002, he was named Deputy Abbot of Saint Tikhon’s Monastery.
After his election to the episcopacy by the Holy Synod of Bishops in
October 2003, he was consecrated on February 14, 2004 at Saint Tikhon
of Zadonsk Monastery Church as the first Bishop of South Canaan,
auxiliary for the Diocese of Eastern Pennsylvania.
Following
his nomination as ruling hierarch by a diocesan assembly and
subsequent canonical election by the Holy Synod on May 27, 2005, he
was installed as Bishop of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania on
October 29, 2005. From 2005 to 2012, he also served as Rector of Saint
Tikhon’s Seminary. He was elevated to the dignity of Archbishop on May
9, 2012.
On
November 13, 2012, Archbishop Tikhon was elected Primate of the
Orthodox Church in America at the 17th All-American Council.
In
addition to his primatial duties along with archpastoral oversight of
the Archdiocese of Washington and Stavropegial Institutions, he served
as Locum Tenens of the Diocese of the South from March 2015 to March
2016.
On
September 14, 2015, Metropolitan Tikhon was honored by St. Vladimir’s
Orthodox Theological Seminary with the bestowal of a Doctor of
Divinity degree, honoris causa.
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Who is our Bishop?
His Eminence Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco and the West
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His
Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin was born Vincent Peterson in Pasadena,
California, on June 1, 1954, and was baptized and chrismated at Holy
Virgin Mary Cathedral, Los Angeles, California, on April 27, 1972. In
1978 he was awarded a Master of Divinity degree and Certificate in
Liturgical Music from Saint Vladimir Seminary.
A
prolific musician, he served as choirmaster at parishes in Detroit,
Michigan, and Los Angeles and as chairman of the Orthodox Church in
America’s Department of Liturgical Music. He was ordained to the Holy
Diaconate on November 15, 1987 by Bishop Tikhon at his home parish,
which he served for 10 years as deacon and youth and education
director. The following year he was tonsured a riasophore monk by
Bishop Tikhon and further tonsured to the lesser schema by His
Eminence, Archbishop [later Metropolitan] Herman at Saint Tikhon
Monastery, South Canaan, Pennsylvania. In 1991 he was elevated to the
rank of archdeacon.
On
July 19, 1997, he was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Bishop
Tikhon. In 1999, Igumen Benjamin was transferred to the Diocese of
Alaska. In addition to other responsibilities, he served as dean of
Saint Innocent Cathedral and later as administrative dean of Saint
Herman Seminary, Kodiak, Alaska. He was elevated to the rank of
archimandrite in 2002. In January 2004 he was reassigned to Holy
Virgin Mary Cathedral, Los Angeles, and appointed Chancellor of the
Diocese of the West.
Upon
his consecration to the episcopacy, Bishop Benjamin began to serve as
Auxiliary to His Grace, Bishop Tikhon of San Francisco, and served as
Diocesan Chancellor.
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At
the January 31, 2007, Special Diocesan Assembly, His Grace was
unanimously nominated as a candidate for The Office of Diocesan
Hierarch. The nomination occurred during this special convocation at
Saint Paul the Apostle Orthodox Church in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the
direction of The Most Blessed Herman, Archbishop of Washington,
Metropolitan of all America and Canada, Locum tenens, Diocese of the
West.
The
Holy Synod of Bishops, in their 2007 spring session, elected His Grace
Bishop Benjamin to be the reigning hierarch of
The Diocese of the West. He was installed as ruling bishop on
October 2, 2007. At the 2012 spring session, the Holy Synod elevated
the bishop to the dignity of Archbishop.
Holy
Trinity Cathedral, the site of His Eminence’s consecration and
installation, is the oldest Orthodox community in the contiguous
United States.
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Who is our Parish Priest?
The Very Reverend Archpriest Alexander Vallens
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The
Very Reverend Archpriest Alexander Vallens is a native of
Centennial, Colorado. He lives in Broomfield with his family.
Father
Alexander is the founding Rector of Saint Tikhon Mission in
Parker, Colorado. He has faithfully served the parish, driving the
long distance from Broomfield to Parker several times a week. Over the
years, Father Alexander has led the mission spiritually and in its
growth.
Father
Alexander holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of
Colorado, Boulder, and completed a Master of Divinity in Theology from
Saint Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary in 2005.
Prior
to his appointment as Rector of Saint Tikhon mission, Father
Alexander served at Holy Transfiguration of Christ Cathedral in Denver
where he grew up.
In
recognition of his accomplishments at Saint Tikhon Mission, he was
appointed as Priest in Charge (Rector) of Holy Wisdom Parish in Grand
Junction, Colorado on July 14, 2023.
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Our Priest, Father Alexander Vallens
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What are Orthodox Clergy?
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First and Foremost, Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only High Priest
Our
Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ is the only Priest, Pastor,
and Teacher of the Orthodox Christian Church. He alone guides and
rules His people. He alone forgives sins and only through Him are we
united with God: the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This
is our faith as Orthodox Christians.
The
New Testament of the Holy Bible also clearly states that Jesus Christ
“set aside” and ordered His Apostles to “Go ... and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).
The Apostles, in turn, “laid hands” on men to be “episkopoi”
(overseers, bishops) and “presbyters” (elders, priests) as we read,
for instance in Titus 1:5 and 1:7. They likewise “laid hands” on men
to be “diakonoi” (deacons) as rerecorded in Acts 6:1-6.
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Orthodox Clergy comprise three “Orders”: Bishops, Priests, and Deacons
The
exact same three “orders” of clergy – bishops, priests, and deacons –
continue to exist in the Orthodox Church in an unbroken succession
directly to the Apostles and Christ Himself.
Our
Lord Jesus Christ has never abandoned His people, and remains present
and active with His Church as its living and unique Head through the
Holy Spirit. This is also our faith as Orthodox Christians.
The
New Testament of the Holy Bible clearly records the “confession of
faith” by Saint Peter the Apostle, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of
the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Then
Jesus Christ confirmed this confession saying, “Upon this rock I
will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against
it (Matthew 16:18).
Orthodox
Christianity proclaims that “the gates of Hades” have never, and will
never, prevail against the unbroken and unchanged faith in Jesus
Christ. Nor can they prevail against Him and His Body, the Church.
The
principal task of Orthodox clergy is to preserve intact and maintain
unchanged the faith once delivered by Christ to the Apostles and
preached throughout the world by the Apostles and their successor
bishops for 2,000 continuous and unbroken years.
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The Mystery (Sacrament) of Holy Orders
The
objective guarantee of the perpetual presence of Christ with His
people exists in the three “Holy Orders” of the Episcopacy (bishops),
the Presbytery (priests) and the Diaconate (deacons). They are
Sacramentally “ordained” by the Holy Spirit in the
“Holy Mystery of Ordination.”
This
Mystery (Sacrament) is also referred to as “Holy Orders,” from the
fact that the bishops, priests and deacons give order to the Church.
They guarantee the continuity and unity of the Church from age to age,
and have no other function or service than to manifest the presence
and action of Christ in the Holy Spirit to His people. As the Apostles
received the special gift of God to go forth and to make Christ
present to men, they “laid hands” on their successors as overseers
(bishops), presbyters (priests), and deacons to manifest Christ’s
presence and action in the Churches.
Each
Eucharistic community, which today we refer to as a “parish,” is under
the direct Apostolic oversight and administration of a bishop. A
bishop may have few or many parishes under his Apostolic authority.
The bishop assigns a priest to a parish as an extension of his
priestly ministry, and may also assign a deacon to carry his
administrative role.
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The “Episcopacy” or the “Order of Bishop”
The
bishop is the first and highest degree of the clergy in the Orthodox
Church (επίσκοπος or episkopos in Greek, which means “overseer”). A
bishop is the direct successor to the Apostles in the service and
government of the Church. The bishop thus serves εἰς τόπον καὶ τύπον
Χριστοῦ ([in place and as a type of Christ{) in the Church. No bishop
in Orthodoxy is considered infallible. None has any authority over or
apart from his priests, deacons, and people or the other bishops. They
have the responsibility of maintaining the unity of the Church
throughout the world by insuring the truth and unity of the faith and
practice of their diocese.
The
bishop represents his particular diocese to the other churches or
dioceses, and represents the Universal Church to his own particular
priests, deacons, and people.
In
the Orthodox Church, from about the sixth century, it has been the
rule that bishops are single men or widowers. Bishops are also usually
in at least the first degree of monastic orders.
It
is the belief of Orthodoxy that Christ is the only priest, pastor, and
teacher of the Christian Church. He alone forgives sins and offers
communion with God, his Father. Christ alone guides and rules his
people. Christ remains with his Church as its living and unique head.
Christ remains present and active in the Church through the Holy
Spirit.
Through
the sacrament of holy orders bishops give order to the Church. Bishops
guarantee the continuity and unity of the Church from age to age and
from place to place, that is, from the time of Christ and the apostles
until the establishment of God’s Kingdom in eternity. Bishops receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit to manifest Christ in the Spirit to men.
Bishops are neither vicars, substitutes, nor representatives of
Christ. It is Christ, through his chosen ministers, who acts as
teacher, good shepherd, forgiver, and healer. It is Christ remitting
sins, and curing the physical, mental, and spiritual ills of mankind.
This
is a mystery of the Church.
The
ruling bishop or diocesan bishop is responsible for and the head of
all the parishes located in his a particular geographical territory,
called a diocese or archdiocese. All authority of the lower orders of
clergy is derived from the bishop. No divine services may be served in
any Orthodox temple without the authorization of a bishop. Saint
Ignatius the God-bearer of Antioch went so far as to state that “he
who acts without the bishop’s knowledge is in the devil’s service.”
Sacramentally,
all bishops are equal. Nevertheless, there are distinctions of
administrative rank among bishops.
Patriarch:
This title is reserved for the primate of certain of the autocephalous
Orthodox churches. The first hierarch of the other autocephalous
churches are styled metropolitan or archbishop or archbishop.
The
primate of the Church of Constantinople assumed the title
Ecumenical Patriarch. The primate of the Church of
Alexandria was granted the title Pope and Patriarch. The
primate of the Church of Georgia amended his title from
Catholicos to Catholicos-Patriarch.
Archbishop or Metropolitan:
These titles may be granted to a senior bishop, usually one who is
in charge of a large ecclesiastical jurisdiction. He may or may
not have provincial oversight of suffragan bishops. He may or may
not have auxiliary bishops assisting him.
In
the Slavic and Antiochian traditions, a metropolitan outranks an
archbishop. The reverse is the situation in the Greek tradition.
The Antiochian tradition also uses the style metropolitan
archbishop to differentiate from metropolitan bishops in the Greek
tradition.
The
change in the Greek tradition came about in later Greek history,
because the diocesan bishops of ancient sees (which in the Greek
diaspora include most) came to be styled metropolitans, short for
“metropolitan bishops.”
The
Slavic and Antiochian churches continue to follow the older
tradition, where an archbishop is a senior bishop in charge of a
major see, and a metropolitan is a bishop in charge of a province
which may include a number of minor and/or major sees.
In
the Greek tradition, all diocesan bishops of autocephalous
churches such as the Church of Greece (the bishop of Patras being
Metropolitan) are now metropolitans, and an archbishop holds his
title as an indication of greater importance for whatever reason.
The
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is the notable exception in
the Greek practice where diocesan bishops carry the title of
metropolitan. In other churches under the jurisdiction of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate such as the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of
Australia the ruling bishop is the archbishop while the other
bishops are auxiliary bishops with titles of the ancient sees.
Non-Ruling Bishops:
A bishop who does not rule his own diocese is either a Patriarchal
Vicar or an Auxiliary Bishop.
Patriarchal Vicars:
In the Church of Antioch, a bishop who is in charge of a
newly-created diocese on behalf of, and under the supervision of,
the Patriarch of Antioch is called a Patriarchal Vicar. The
diocese is usually kept under the direct control of the patriarch
until it becomes self-supporting. Patriarchal Vicars are not
members of the Holy Synod, and do not answer to the Holy Synod.
When a diocese becomes self-supporting, it is usually granted a
ruling bishop who becomes a member of the Holy Synod The
equivalent title in some Orthodox jurisdictions is Exarch.
Auxiliary Bishops:
Most Orthodox Churches allow themselves the capacity to appoint
auxiliary bishops to assist ruling bishops within their own
dioceses or archdioceses. Auxiliary bishops do not govern in their
own right but only act as directed by their diocesan bishop.
Titular Bishops:
Bishops who are assigned a title of ancient dioceses that no
longer function are called titular bishops. The Diocese of
Sourozh, the diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow
Patriarchate) in Great Britain and Ireland, is an example.
However, generally, titular bishops are auxiliary bishops.
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The “Priesthood” or the “Order of Presbyter”
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The
Presbyter is the second degree of the major orders of
clergy in the Orthodox Church, along with that of the
bishop and deacon.
The
word “presbyter” is, in the Bible, a synonym for bishop
(Greek: επίσκοπος - episkopos), referring to a leader in
local Church congregations. However, since at least the
second century, it has been understood as distinct from
bishop and synonymous with priest. Its literal meaning in
Greek (Gr: πρεσβύτερος - presbyteros) is “elder.”
Through
the sacrament of holy orders, an ordination of a deacon to
the priesthood is performed by the bishop. This is done
during the Divine Liturgy, immediately following the Great
Entrance, showing that the newly-ordained priest is to be
involved in the consecration. The congregation will
acclaim his ordination by shouting “Axios” (“he is
worthy”).
A
priest always ministers to the people of God in the stead of the bishop. This includes:
Celebrating the Divine Liturgy
Celebrating the services of the daily cycle (matins, vespers, etc)
Celebrating baptisms, marriages, funerals and any sacraments of the Church.
Usually
a priest will also hear confessions. In some
jurisdictions, this is allowable immediately after
seminary and ordination, but in other jurisdictions the
bishop will specifically indicate when a priest may begin
hearing confessions.
A
principle of Orthodox theology is that a priest’s personal
conduct does not inhibit the grace of God acting through
them. Christ is the One Who gives grace, merely using His
ministers as “conduits” to the people.
In
addition, to complete his duties, the priest is permitted
to touch the Table of Oblation, the Altar, and to move
through the Royal Doors.
Since
the presbyters are assigned by the bishop and belong to
the specific congregations they have no authority or
services to perform apart from their bishop and their own
particular parish community. On the altar table of each
parish, there is the cloth called the antiménsion signed
by the bishop, which is the permission to the community to
gather and to act as the Church. Without the antimension,
the priest and his people cannot function legitimately.
The
earliest organization of the Christian churches in
Palestine was similar to that of Jewish synagogues, who
were governed by a council of elders (presbyteroi). In
Acts 11:30 and 15:22, this collegiate system of government
in Jerusalem is described, and in Acts 14:23, the Apostle
Paul ordains elders in the churches he founded. Initially,
these presbyters were apparently identical with the
overseers (epískopoi, i.e., bishops), as Acts 20:17 and
Titus 1:5,7 indicate, and the terms were interchangeable.
Shortly
after the New Testament period, with the death of the
Apostles, there was a differentiation in the usage of the
synonymous terms, giving rise to the appearance of two
distinct offices, bishop and presbyter. The bishop was
understood mainly as the president of the council of
presbyters, and so the bishop came to be distinguished
both in honor and in prerogative from the presbyters, who
were seen as deriving their authority by means of
delegation from the bishop. The distinction between
presbyter and bishop is made fairly soon after the
Apostolic period, as is seen in the 2nd century writings
of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, who uses the terms
consistently and clearly to refer to two different offices
(along with that of a deacon).
Initially,
each local congregation in the Church had its own bishop.
Eventually, as the Church grew, individual congregations
no longer were served directly by a bishop. The bishop in
a large city would appoint a presbyter to pastor the flock
in each congregation, acting as his delegate.
Orthodox
priests may be married clergy or monastic clergy. In the
Orthodox Church a married man may be ordained to the
priesthood. His marriage, however, must be the first for
both him and his wife. He may not remarry, and he must
continue in his ministry even if his wife should die.
If
a single man is ordained, he must remain celibate to
retain his service. This is often done alongside the
candidate taking monastic vows. A monastic priest is
referred to as a hieromonk or priest-monk.
The
Orthodox Church often refers to presbyters in English as
priests (priest is etymologically derived from the Greek
presbyteros via the Latin presbyter). This usage is seen
by some Protestant Christians as stripping the laity of
its rightful priestly status, while those who use the term
defend its usage by saying that, while they do believe in
the priesthood of all believers, they do not believe in
the eldership of all believers.
Presbyters
are often referred to as Father (Fr.), though this is not
an official title. Rather, it is a term of affection used
by Christians for their ordained elders. In this context,
a priest’s first name is generally used after the word
Father.
Priests
are often styled as the Reverend (Rev.) and therefore
referred to as the Reverend Father (Rev. Fr.). Higher in
bestowed honor and responsibility, Archpriests and
Protopresbyters are styled as the Very Reverend (V. Rev.),
while Archimandrites can be styled as the Very Reverend
(V. Rev.) or as the Right Reverend (Rt. Rev.). It is also
appropriate and traditional to refer to a clergyman as
“the Priest [Name]” or “Archpriest [Name]”. This latter
practice is especially prominent in Churches with Slavic
roots, such as the Church of Russia and the Orthodox
Church in America.
The
wife of a priest will also have a special title, usually
in the language of the jurisdiction of her husband, such
as “presvytéra” or “mátushka”.
Sacramentally,
all priests are equal. However, they are ranked and serve
by seniority according to the date of their ordination.
Just
as with bishops and deacons, there are distinctions of
administrative rank among priests. A non-monastic priest
can be bestowed the honor of Sakellários, Ekonómos,
Archpriest, or Protopresbyter, while a monastic priest can
be given the honor of Archimandrite or, in the Slavic
traditions, Igumen. In the Russian Orthodox Church, an
archpriest can be awarded the mitre, making him a Mitred
Archpriest.
The
full vestments of the priest are the stichárion,
epitrachílion (stole), zóni (belt), epimaníkia (cuffs),
and phelónion. When not serving at Liturgy, a priest may
wear fewer vestments, but at least his stole.
The
Stichárion is a long-sleeved tunic, worn by all degrees of
clergy, that reaches all the way to the ground. It reminds
the wearer that the grace of the Holy Spirit covers him as
with a garment of salvation and joy. The stichárion of a
priest has sleeves that are designed to be tucked under
the cuffs, unlike those of deacons (and minor orders)
which are heavier and designed to be worn over the cuffs.
The
epitrachílion (stole; literally “around the neck”) is the
principal vestment of a priest, and without it he cannot
serve.
The
epimaníkia (cuffs) are worn around the wrists, tied by a
long cord, and are also worn by bishops and deacons. They
serve the practical purpose of keeping the inner garments
out of the way during the services. They also remind the
wearer that he serves not by his own strength but with the
help of God.
During
the Liturgy (and when preparing to celebrate the Liturgy),
the priest is vested in his full liturgical vestments.
During services of the daily cycle, the priest is vested
in an exórason (or ryássa) and stole, and tradition varies
as to whether he additionally vests with cuffs, and at
what point in a service he wears the phelónion.
The
priest is permitted to wear a cassock (zóstiko, anterí) as
a sign of his suppression of his own tastes, will and
desires, and of his canonical obedience to God, his
bishop, and the liturgical and canonical norms of the
Church. Priests are also permitted to wear the exórason
(or ryássa). In jurisdictions that utilise clergy shirts,
priests generally wear a clergy shirt with collar.
In
the Russian tradition, all priests wear the pectoral
cross. In other traditions, a pectoral cross is given by
the bishop in recognition of faithful service after a
number of years. Similarly, in the Russian tradition
priests may wear the black kamilávki (kalimafhi) in
services, and the bishop may designate various colors of
these for faithful service.
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The “Diaconate” or the “Order of Deacon”
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The
Deacon is the third degree of the major orders of clergy
in the Orthodox Church, following the bishop and the
presbyter. The word deacon (in Greek διάκονος) means “one
who serves”.
The
duty of a deacon is to serve the community and to lead
prayers. He must have the blessing of the presiding priest
or bishop to put on his vestments and serve. A deacon may
not celebrate the sacraments by himself; he may not give
blessings; he may not consecrate the Holy Gifts.
In
the Orthodox Church, the diaconate is not just a step to
priesthood and many deacons have no intention of ever
becoming priests regarding the diaconate as a permanent
office, as a position for full or part time service to the
work of the Church.
Originally
deacons of the Church assisted the bishops in good deeds
and works of charity. But at some time in recent centuries
the diaconate became an almost exclusive liturgical
function where the deacons only assist at the celebration
of the Church services, helping in other areas like any
other knowledgeable member of the laity.
Sacramentally,
all deacons are equal. However, they are ranked and serve
by seniority according to the date of their ordination.
Just
as with bishops and presbyters, there are distinctions of
administrative rank among deacons. A senior deacon of a
cathedral or principal church may be awarded the title
protodeacon and claim precedence when serving with other
deacons. The chief deacon who is attached to the person of
a bishop is called an archdeacon. A deacon who is also a
monastic is called a hierodeacon.
For
formal occasions (for example, in the heading of a letter
or when introducing a speaker), one would politely address
or refer to a deacon as “The Rev. Deacon [John Smith].”
Deacon is often abbreviated Dcn. or Dn. (though the second
is also used as an abbreviation for dean).
In
informal settings, for example, in normal conversation, it
is appropriate to simply refer to a deacon as “Deacon
[John]”, “Father [John]”, or “Father Deacon [John]”,
depending on the tradition.
Deacons
cannot bless, so it is inappropriate to ask a deacon for
his blessing; blessings are given only by bishops and
priests. In some traditions, however, such as in Greece,
the deacon’s hand (as well as the hand of an abbess of a
monastery or, occasionally, an unordained monastic) is
sometimes kissed as a sign of respect for the Holy Spirit
which operates through that person’s office. Neither
kissing a deacon’s hand nor not kissing it is strictly
“right” or “wrong.”
The
vestments of the deacon are the stichárion, the orárion, and the epimaníkia.
All
degrees of clergy wear the stichárion. The stichárion is a
long-sleeved tunic that reaches all the way to the ground.
It reminds the wearer that the grace of the Holy Spirit
covers him as with a garment of salvation and joy. For
deacons, the stichárion has wide sleeves and is made of a
heavier fabric than that of the priest and bishop, who
wear their sticharia under other vestments.
The
second part of a deacon’s vestments is the orárion. The
orárion is a narrow band of material that the deacon wears
wrapped around his body and draped over his left shoulder.
It represents the grace of the Holy Spirit that in
ordination anoints the deacon like oil. It is the
principal vestment of the deacon and without it he cannot
serve. When the deacon leads the people in prayers or
invites them to attention he holds one end of his orárion
in his right hand and raises it. The priest’s
epitrachelion and the bishop’s omophorion are specialized
types of the orárion.
The
final parts of a deacon’s vestments are the epimaníkia.
The epimaníkia are cuffs that are worn around the wrists,
tied by a long cord. These are also worn by the bishop and
priest. They serve the practical purpose of keeping the
inner garments out of the way during the services. They
also remind the wearer that he serves not by his own
strength but with the help of God.
Deacons
are permitted to wear a cassock; this is done as a sign of
his suppression of his own tastes, will and desires, and
his canonical obedience to God, his bishop and the
liturgical and canonical norms of the Church. Deacons are
also permitted to wear the exóraso (or ryássa). In
jurisdictions that utilize clergy shirts, deacons
generally wear a clergy shirt with collar.
During
services, the deacon is usually vested in a stichárion
with an orárion that hangs over the left shoulder; with
the exception of around the consecration of Communion,
when the deacon will, for practicality, arrange his
stichárion like a subdeacon.
The
deacon ministers to, serves, the bishop and the priest in
the divine services. This includes:
Assisting in the celebration of the mysteries of the Church
Leading the people in the collective prayers (with the
blessing of the presiding priest or bishop)
Reading from the Scriptures during the divine services
(with the blessing of the presiding priest or bishop)
Keeping the decorum of the public worship, including
calling people to attention at appropriate times
Any tasks of the subdeacon or reader
Other tasks related to Church life, with the blessing and
direction of his priest or bishop.
In
some jurisdictions, a deacon may be blessed by his bishop
and parish priest to distribute the Eucharist to the
faithful, either from a second chalice at a regular
liturgy where a priest is serving or in connection with a
typika service that is celebrated when the priest is
absent.
What
a deacon does may depend on jurisdiction. In some cases
the diaconate is a short interval before the priesthood.
Where permanency or longevity in the diaconate is prized,
deacons will often head educational programs and youth
groups, perform hospital visitation, missionary work, and
conduct social welfare projects.
In
addition, to complete his duties, the deacon is permitted
to touch the Table of Oblation, the Altar, and to move
through the Royal Doors.
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