OCA 2006 Parish Ministry Conference

At the request of Fr. Michael Roshak and Ms. Phyllis Frankel, I rode down with Daniel Walsh to attend part of this conference. I have not regretted one single moment. I wish that I could had attended the whole thing.

We arrived udring Vespers. What a treat it was to hear familiar words and famliar tunes and no choir.

Fr. Andrew Morby and I have both been active on the Orthodox Forum and maybe other lists as well. So the name was very familiar with me. We finally met each other in person. My name was also very familiar to him. He is the priest in the white cassock. He was the main organizer of this conference.

I was surprised to see Metropolitan Herman at this conference. I did have a chance to greet him personally. His photographer, Martin Paluch, was with him and I made sure that I took some photographs of him also and of Fr. Gregory Safchuk. We photographer are usually behind the camera and rarely in front. I have made it a policy years ago to photographer other photographers. Barry Palmer of the Manchester Union Leader was the first one. He was really surprised when I handed him the photograph centuries ago.

I was also really happy to see Fr. Milorad. He was the pastor of St. Luke Serbian Orthodox Church (OCA) before and while I was in the seminary. Plus I had the chance to meet the OCA's new chancellor, Fr. Alexander Garklavs and the new director of Ministries and Communication Fr. Andrew Jarmus. Marcella Hydock looks good and I am happy to hear that her husband and her son are doing well. I did not have an opportunity to speak with Subdeacon Michael Shandor but I did see him and photographed him, although he probably does not know this.

It has been years since I saw Fr. David and Matushka Sherry Garretson (I hope that I'm spelling theri names correctly). When I last saw her, their daughter Megan was a toddler. She is now 18 years old and quite a lady. She is also very pleasant, but I am not surprised knowing her parents.

Finally I had my photograph taken with Archbishop Seraphim. Martin was the photographer. Why not use the best?

There were others, of course, but you can see the photographs. By the way, as we were leaving the chapel, Archbishop Seraphim held the door open for us. To thoser who know him, this is probably nothing. But to many of my friends, this is really a big deal. Basically the archbishop was living his own words.

To all who made this evening such a wonderful experience for me, thank you!!!

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