wfn.org | [SCOBA] SCOBA ENCYCLICAL : Prison Ministry Awareness Sunday

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…for the captives and for their salvation,

>let us pray to the Lord.

>The Great Litany

>May 24, 2009

>The Sixth Sunday of Pascha

>The Hierarchs of the Standing Conference

of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas

To all the Clergy and the Laity of the Holy Orthodox Churches in the Americ as

>Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

>Christ is Risen!

We, the Hierarchs of SCOBA, have, by the grace of God, been blessed to desi gnate the Sixth Sunday of Pascha, this year on May 24, 2009, to be Prison M inistry Awareness Sunday in all Orthodox parishes of North America. Althoug h Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry (OCPM) is the youngest Agency of SCOBA , it fulfills the direct and clear Evangelical command of the Lord, I was i n prison, and you came unto Me (St. Matthew 25:36). Nevertheless, even if w e all do not or cannot visit those in prisons, we all can participate in th is healing ministry through our participation in the Divine Liturgy.

When, in each Divine Liturgy of our Church, we pray “for the captiv es and for their salvation,” we have the opportunity to be mindful  of the prisoners who are serving sentences in jails and penitentiaries thro ughout this nation. There are those who become captives as a result of thei r own sins. The prisons of our Nation are filled to overflowing. In fact, t here are now more people incarcerated in the United States of America than  in any other nation in the world, at any time in history. Many prisoners si ncerely seek to be delivered from the chaos of their lives and be healed of  their addictions, and they embrace repentance. They look to God for meanin g and restoration. The Holy Orthodox Church offers the Life that gives mean ing to all life, and is able to restore broken humanity to its original bea uty.

This is where OCPM fulfills a vital and truly compassionate service of the  Church. This ministry reaches into the dark corners of America’s pe nal system to find captives who are looking for their salvation.

When we, the Members of SCOBA ask all of our parishes to find ways to suppo rt OCPM and encourage this work, we invite you to be active agents of compa ssion, true servants and missionaries who work for the salvation of those h eld captive by sin and evil which result in death. With such an understandi ng, let us listen to the voice of the Lord saying, I was in prison, and you  came unto Me (St. Matthew 25:36), and join our prayers together for the ca ptives and for their salvation .

With paternal blessings and love in the Risen Christ,

>†Archbishop DEMETRIOS

>Chairman

>Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

>† Metropolitan PHILIP

>Vice Chairman

>Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese

>Of North America

>† Metropolitan CHRISTOPHER

>Secretary

>Serbian Orthodox Church in North

>And South America

>† Metropolitan NICHOLAS of Amissos

>Treasurer

>American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox

>Diocese in the USA

>† Archbishop NICOLAE

>Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese

>In the Americas

>† Metropolitan JOSEPH

>Bulgarian Eastern Orthodox Church

>† Metropolitan JONAH

>Orthodox Church in America

>† Metropolitan CONSTANTINE

>Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA

>† Archpriest Alexander Abramov

>Acting Representative of the Moscow

>Patriarchate in the USA

>† Bishop ILIA of Philomelion

>Albanian Orthodox Diocese of America

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