The Arabic original is from here. I'll get to work on translating the sermons mentioned....
The Monastery of St. Michael celebrated its annual feast this year on Friday, November 5, 2010. Vespers were celebrated at 5PM and afterwards the annual exhibition was opened by the people of the town in the presence of His Emminence Metropolitan Ephrem, the abbot of the monastery. At 9PM the vigil for the feast was celebrated by Met. Ephrem, lasting all night until 5AM the next morning. After the Gospel reading, His Eminence spoke about the angels, their role, and how we can resemble them.
On Monday the 8th of this month Metropolitan Georges presided at the service of the feast, assisted by Metropolitan Ephrem and a number of priests and in the presence of a large crowd of faithful who overflowed out of the church and the area around it. This feast had a special flavor to it, because it was attended by a choir from Moscow made up of thirty-five people, including a number of Russian priests and archimandrites who served the divine liturgy in the Slavonic language and who created a new and special atmosphere for the ears of the faithful.
After the Gospel reading, Metropolitan Georges spoke about the Archangel Michael and about his service, asking why the faithful gathered in such a crowd today and speaking about "The Role of Monasticism in Giving Praise."
Many more pictures can be seen here.
Was Fr. Touma in attendance?
ReplyDelete(I keep wondering if there are any photos of the good Archimandrite. I've come to recognize Mets. George and Ephraim already, but not Frs. Pandeleimon or Touma.)
opp,
ReplyDeleteI have yet to see a photo of Fr. Touma put online. But here is a picture of Fr. Pandeleimon: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_kwNBO3QjMa4/SJX0_lB6jDI/AAAAAAAADpI/ZtOj7QZ_1xg/s1600-h/Father+panteleimon-4.jpg
And his singing voice, probably the best in all the Arabic-speaking world, can be heard here:
http://araborthodoxy.blogspot.com/2009/07/blog-post.html
Fr Touma is not as public as Fr Pandeleimon and Met. Ephrem, as you will see when visiting the monasteries. But nevertheless a very nice man.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the best arab singing voice.... His Eminence of Thrice Blessed Memory Elias Kurban was THE NIGHTINGALE of Antioch. But as you say, Fr Pandeleimon is up there as one of the best.
Anon,
ReplyDeleteExactly. I meant that Fr. Pandeleimon is probably the best now that Met. Elias has reposed.... He was very much in a league of his own.