Father Paul Nicholas Harrilchak Visit

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Father Paul Nicholas Harrilchak, priest of Holy Trinity Parish (OCA), Reston, Virginia, and long-time friend of New Skete’s Communities, gave an evening lecture during his visit, accompanied by Mrs. Sharon Lefchik of College Park, Maryland, for the monks, nuns, and members of our parish Tuesday, November 5. He spoke very entertainingly and most informatively about the thematic and calendar unfolding of the celebration of the Nativity of Christ in the Orthodox East from the time of St. John Chrysostom. The Eastern tradition has no Advent except in the adoption of a forty-day fast to mirror the Great Fast in preparation for Pascha, but it is nonetheless rich in biblical mysteriology expanded by the related theophanies also brought to the fore by the Church from the original new year on September 23 (the empire’s commemoration of the birth of Caesar Augustus) up to the Encounter on February 2. In the course of his discussion, there were ample instances to refer to a book he has just published in its 20th edition, The Divine Liturgy. This revision is replete with details of liturgical and biblical history embedded in the texts.


Father Harrilchak with Brothers Peter and John, Stavros and Marc. The latter two were classmates with Father Harrilchak at Saint Basil’s Ukrainian Catholic Seminary in the early sixties.  He was also familiar with Fr. Laurence at Holy Protection Monastery of the Byzantine Franciscans in adjoining towns in southwestern Connecticut. Fr. Paul and Br. Stavros and the deceased Br. Elias were also together at the Catholic University of America at St. Josephat’s Ukrainian Seminary in Washington, D.C. in 1964 and 1965. He preceded the monks in becoming part of the OCA after his years at St. Vladimir’s and friendship with Fathers Schmemann and Meyendorff [the founder of the Reston parish.]

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