Chrismation, and budget

We congratulate and welcome Dr. Thomas Di Martino upon his reception Sunday into the Orthodox Church, by Baptism and Chrismation, February 6th at St. George's.

            Since the early years of the mission station in Edenton, Tom has been exemplary in his dedicated support and promotion of its work and his faithful participation in its life.

            Pursuant to Orthodox practice since the 1st & 2nd centuries, Tom was preparing during the recent months as a catechumen (i.e., a professed Christian being instructed) particularly, by attending services and by studying and growing in the Faith.


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            For our services over the weekend we appreciated especially the visit of Susan and Tom Kehayes, who served as sponsors (or godparents) for the Baptism.

            A native of Edenton, Dr. Kehayes enabled the organizing of our mission station here, the following winter, by his series of lectures on Orthodox Christianity that he generously offered at the Barker House on the evenings of March 18th through 21st of 2002.

            He and Susan had been received into the Orthodox Church in April of 2000, following his retirement from 35 years of highly distinguished service as a priest in the Episcopal Church.

            Susan and Tom reside in Macon, Georgia, where they are members of St. Innocent's Orthodox Church.
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            If one or two of our newsletter's readers are interested in helping support the work of St. George's Mission Station financially, the circumstances are described at the end of this issue.

            Our St. George's wall calendars for 2011, again published in full color by St. Tikhon's Seminary & Monastery, of South Canaan, Penna., remain available at eight dollars for purchase after services.
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            Our regular Sunday services continue each week at 10:00 a.m., followed by refreshments.

            All of our services are held in our church building, at 300 East King Street, on the corner of Oakum Street, in Edenton; and visitors are always invited and welcome.

            A household willing to furnish a particular Sunday's refreshments or lunch may volunteer by e­‑mail reply or by calling our office at 482–2006.  We're very grateful to Elizabeth Berry for having hosted us so sumptuously this Sunday for Fr. Andrew's visit and the baptism.

            Our prayers are requested for the newly­‑illumined servant­‑of­‑God Thomas; for Fr. Edward, for Mo. Katrina, for Jessica, for Chris's uncle Randall, and for their health; for Barbara's grandnephew Will, as he tests his monastic vocation; for Marcia, for James & Kate, for Joshua & his family, and for Kelly & her family; and for other households for whom our prayers are asked.
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            The Baptismal service on Sunday began, as always, at the outer door of the church with the priest's exorcisms of the devil and with the spitting on him, liturgically toward the west, by the catechumen.

            Inside the church at the baptistry, there followed the priest's exorcism of its water and then his sanctifying of it, and next his anointing of the catechumen with the oil of gladness, on the brow, breast, back, both ears, both hands, and both feet.

            Then the Baptism itself took place, by immersion three times in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Spirit, followed by the clothing of the newly­‑baptized in the garment of righteousness.

            The Baptism was followed as always by the Chrismation—the anointing of the newly­‑illumined with holy chrism, on the forehead, both eyes, the nostrils, the lips, both ears, the breast, both hands, both feet, and the back.

            Finally there was the ablution, or liturgical washing of him with the sponge; the tonsure, or cutting of his hair in the sign of the cross; the procession with the newly­‑baptized; and, at the ensuing Divine Liturgy, his first Communion.
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            If one or two of our newsletter's readers are interested in helping support the work of St. George's financially for a time, here is our situation.

            Our mission station in Edenton receives no financial support from the Diocese (nor the national Church) but is funded entirely locally.

            The mission policy of our Diocese, developed after experimenting with various ventures, is to focus its church­‑planting funding on new missions targeted for the largest metropolitan areas that have yet no English Orthodox parish (versus a Greek parish with Greek liturgies); and so the Diocese has been establishing congregations accordingly in High Point and Wilmington most recently.

            Our Diocese moreover offers financial assistance to a mission when it's ready for its first full­‑time priest—the Diocese having found from experience that this policy also is consistently fruitful.

            But Edenton at present doesn't fall into either one of these two categories; and so it's been understood from the beginning that the mission here will need to be funded entirely locally, until it's ready for its first full­‑time priest.  And while of course we're ready, and looking, for our first resident priest, we're certainly not in a position yet to commit to a full­‑time employment.

            For the past two years our regular pledge income was enough to fund the necessary budget, but in recent months economic factors have affected, in terms of their income, also some in our congregation, besides the situation of some members with large student loans remaining to be paid, and the fact that most of those who attend are not established Orthodox adults—but are inquirers or visitors, or are children, or are still college students.

            Moreover the heating & cooling cost, especially with the increased number of days on which services are scheduled, has been substantially higher this cold winter than previously budgeted.

            Our regular expenses include the priest's stipend, his travel allowance and lodging here, the rent on the building, the utilities and insurance, the telephone listing and the website hosting, musical & sacramental & other liturgical supplies, kitchen supplies, postage & box rent, yard­‑care expenses, and miscellaneous items.

            Thus, until we have a chance to grow some more in terms of adult members who have finished college & graduate school and have made some progress on student loans, we'd be very grateful if there might be one or two or three households reading our newsletters who might feel led for a while to make a monthly, or quarterly, contribution to the mission work of St. George's here.

            Any such regular contributions, for a year or so perhaps, will help us avoid reducing our schedule of vespers & mid­‑week services, during the heating & cooling seasons of winter & summer, or our schedule of visits from our priest.

            If we can know of the intention of a couple of our readers to assist in that way for a year or two, the repeating of this announcement can be concluded.

            Our mailing address is P.O. Box 38, Edenton, 27932; and all such contributions to St. George's Orthodox Church are tax­‑deductible of course.  Copies of each month's detailed treasurer's report are always available on the table in the parlor, or on request by postal mail.

            We in the congregation are laboring toward establishing a parish that will be pleasing to the Lord, and it's our hope that any friends of the mission station who wish to help will find their participation a blessing as we find ours to be.