Clergy Meeting and Confession in Phoenix, Arizona, March 20-21 2007

On Tuesday and Wednesday, March 20 and 21, during the fifth week of Great Lent, in Phoenix, AZ, the clergy of the Western American Diocese held their annual Lenten meeting. St. Sava parish (photo) hosted around twenty five priests and deacons, who came for a liturgical seminar and confession. The confessor was the abbot of St. Herman of Alaska Monastery in Platina, CA, Fr. Gerasim (photo).
The meeting started with lunch in the parish center (photo) followed by a discussion about practical and theoretical questions on church liturgical practice. His Grace, Dr. Maxim, introduced the theme giving an opportunity to others to comment, ask questions and respond to this very important aspect of pastoral praxis. The second part of the meeting was led by Protopresbyter Velimir Petakovich. After the meeting, a confession of the clergy followed with Vespers (photo) served at 5pm by Protopresbyter Bratislav Krsic.

The clergy then visited the sister parish of St. Nicholas of the New Gracanica Metropolitanate. The parish priest, Fr. Stanislav Durich together with his church board members welcomed guests with heartfelt greetings. In response, His Grace Maxim with archpastoral and loving words expressed his joy that this historic visit took place (photo). He conveyed the greetings and blessings from His Grace Longin who blessed this distinctive and historic visit. The hosts with the help of the parish Circle of Serbian sisters served the traditional Serbian coffee, fruit preserves, brandy, etc. (photo) Incidentally, one of the brandies served as refreshment was “Christian Brothers”, this being a metaphor for the Christian love and brotherhood that St. Sava and St. Nicholas parishioners cultivate on the West coast (photo). Fr. Stanislav and his parishioners were then invited to dinner at St. Sava parish (photo) to continue mutual acquainting, love, and trust for a future communal life.

The following day in the church of St. Sava, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts was served (photo). All the clergy partook of Holy Communion. The Liturgy was served by protopresbyters Nikola Ceko and Bratislav Krsic (photo). The responses were sung by the students Vuk Milisic, Miroslav Boskovic and Ivan Vuksanovic. (photo)
The spiritual refreshment and renewal of this gathering was aided by the participants’ pilgrimage to St. Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery in Florence, AZ. This monastery is known throughout America for its Byzantine architecture in the middle of the desert, a strict typicon, and monastic Anthonite spirituality.
At the entrance to the monastery, His Grace Maxim and clergy were welcomed by abbot Paisius (photo). For this occasion he prayerfully made available the relics of saints for the pilgrims to venerate and pray. During his remarks in the main church, Bishop Maxim expressed thanks to God for blessing the monks, their endeavors, prayers, and patience, by making the desert bring forth such fruit and trees of life that attest to the orthodox ethos and relationship to the creation.
His Grace Maxim and clergy of the Western Diocese gifted abbot Paisius and the monastery with an icon of St. Nikolai of Zicha as well as the Prologue in English. The pilgrims were served Lenten refreshments, coffee, brandy, juice, tea, etc. Before their departure, the abbot gifted the pilgrims with incense, icons, wine, oil, books, CD’s, etc. The palm trees that surround the monastery were gifted to them by Arizona State. (photo)

In the summer of 1995, six monks from Mount Athos arrived in the Arizona desert and founded the monastery of St. Anthony the Great. With them they brought the sacred and one thousand years of Anthonite spiritual tradition. From early Christianity, Mount Athos, a peninsula in northern Greece (a long and densely wooded mountain ridge), is home to ancient Egyptian, Capadocian, Constantinopolitan, Asia Minor, and later Slavic monasticism. This way Mount Athos, as home to monastic communities of ancient Christianity, kept the teachings of the Holy Fathers and the Church’s tradition of Divine services.

Anthonite Elder Joseph, a disciple of Mount Athos’ hysicasts, having founded a few monasteries on Mount Athos, then men’s and women’s monasteries throughout Greece and North America, sent six Anthonite monks to the Sonoran desert in Arizona to establish a new monastery. Upon arrival the monks undertook the necessary construction work, first having built the main church, the monks sleeping headquarters, dining hall, and the pilgrims’ reception hall. The garden, a vineyard, and orchards color the landscape and monastery’s surrounding area. The well cultivated gardens, paths, and Spanish water fountains adorn the monastery and make it a true desert oasis.
The monastery is dedicated to St. Anthony the Great – the father of monasticism from the third century. Besides the main church dedicated to St. Anthony and St. Nektarios of Aegina, the monastery has chapels dedicated to St. Seraphim of Sarov, St. Demetrious of Thessalonica, St. John the Baptist, St. George the Great Martyr, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and St. Panteleimon the Healer.
The monastery follows the coenobitic style of monasticism, where monks and novices have everything in common following a daily liturgical cycle. Their day begins with individual prayers recited in their cells at midnight and then continuing with morning services in church and finishing with the Divine Liturgy. After a light breakfast and a short rest, the monks begin their work day accompanied by prayer and obedience. Among other daily chores that monks do are: maintenance of the monastery, work in the vineyard, gardening, wood carving, publications, cooking, and welcoming of pilgrims (hospitality). For monks, the day ends with an Evening service, dinner and Compline.
The host priest, Protopresbyter-stavrophor Janko Trbovic (photo), wished all a safe journey home and on behalf of his parish, thanked all for their visit.

The following clergy were present: Velimir Petakovic, Bozidar Draskovic, Janko Trbovic, Petar Jovanovic, Milan Vukovic, Vasilije Cvijanovic, Uros Todorovic, Ilija Balac, Nikola Ceko, Dane Popovic, Stephen Tumbas, Blasko Paraklis, Norman Kosanovic, Nikola Todorovic, David Lubliner, Bratislav Krsic, Radovan Petrovic, Abbot Gerasim, Hieromonks Dorotheus and Jovan (Babic), and deacons Triva Paul, Stephen Diar, and hierodeacon Hilarion from Platina.

© Photo by Borislav Petric and Vuk Milisic