My First ROCOR Vigil as a Deacon

To serve at the Altar is a real joy for me. As a child, I used to be an altar boy and I would serve whenevr I had a chance. I continued to serve as an altar boy in high school and also as an altar server during college until I had serious doubts about the Catholic Church and even stopped going to church. Today I am glad that I returned to church.

I had some serious problems with some of the teachings and practicers of the Catholic Church and this came to a head when I had a conflict at college with required "Night Prayers." The problem came in the first semester my third year of college when I had my two worst subjects on Monday and Tuesday and that time that we haad to attend Night Prayer cut into my valuable study time. I was given a choice, attend Night Prayers or be expelled. So I would show up and sit in the back of the church and study.

After I left college I went to the Byzantine Rite and came back to the Church but I did not serve on the Altar, although I really would love to have done so. It was not until after my Air Force and Texas Army National Guard time that I returned to Washington and became a member of St. Nicholas Cathedral there and we had a bishop, two priests, and a deacon at the Slavonic service but no altar server. Larry said to me, "Grab a robe and let's go!" This was the beginning of my Altar serving career.

Shortly after I was ordained a deacon, I was asked by Holy Apostles to assist them on Wednesday evening. I was thrilled when they asked me. My first service there was the Vigil for the feast of St. John of Konstadt. How appropriate since I fully support many of this "innovations."

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