Sunday of Orthodoxy Customs and Traditions

[LizaSymonenko]

I was wondering what different parishes "do" to commemorate the Sunday of Orthodoxy.

Besides our priest's sermon, our parish really doesn't do anything.  However, I know that others do, and I would like ours to do something, as well.

I've attended a number of pan-Orthodox Vespers during Great Lent.  On the Sunday of Orthodoxy, at the end of the service, all the clergy come out of the Altar carrying their icons (which they brought with them).  This has been as many as 30 priests, deacons, etc.  They go around the church, stopping at each wall (direction), reciting a prayer, and moving on to the next wall, stopping, etc...until they've circled the whole sanctuary, and end up in front of the iconostasis. 

Then everyone picks up the piece of paper left for them, and all together recite a prayer.

The passage from the Synodikon of the Seventh Ecumenical Council is read in unison by all.
     As the Prophets beheld,
     As the Apostles taught,
     As the Church received,
     As the Teachers dogmatized,
     As the Universe agreed,
     As Grace illumined,
     As the Truth revealed,
     As falsehood passed away,
     As Wisdom presented,
     As Christ awarded,
     Thus we declare,
     Thus we assert,
     Thus we proclaim Christ our true God
     and honor His saints,
     In words,
     In writings,
     In thoughts,
     In sacrifices,
     In churches,
     In holy icons.
     On the one hand, worshipping and reverencing Christ as God and Lord.
     And on the other hand, honoring and venerating His Saints as true servants of the same Lord.
     This is the Faith of the Apostles.
     This is the Faith of the Fathers.
     This is the Faith of the Orthodox.
     This is the Faith which has established the Universe.


It's really very moving.

I've heard from other members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of USA, that they also commemorate the day.  Usually the youth come up front holding their icons for a moleben at the end of Liturgy.

I would appreciate everyone's input concerning what your parish does on this day (especially FatherHLL and others of the UOCofUSA).

Thanks so much!

[ialmisry]

In our parish the children process with their icons, we do an abbreviated service for Vespers after DL and read the Horos of the Seventh Council, as given above.

[augustin717]

Back in Romania nobody did anything on this Sunday. Perhaps because we were in absolute majority there, we didn't need any reinforcement of our orthodoxy, by contrast with the kakodoxy of others

[Schultz]

In our parish the children process with their icons, we do an abbreviated service for Vespers after DL and read the Horos of the Seventh Council, as given above.

We do much the same, IIRC.

[Cymbyz]

Same in my (GOAA) parish.  I have also been to a few pan-Orthodox Vespers of the Sunday of Orthodoxy (this was, in fact, the service with which I was introduced to Orthodoxy in 1964).

One thing anciently done in this Vespers which is not usually done today is a resitation (bu a deacon) of the anathemas against all the verious heresies.  I consider this useful as a reminder of what we're against, must to belance out what we're for.

[monkvasyl]

At St. Andrew's, in Boston, the children make and decorate icons.  They will procession around the church after Liturgy and Father will bless the icons.  These are saved, by the priest, who will give them to sick or shut-in parishioners during the coming year.  Then in the afternoon we attend the Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers, except last year there wasn't any due to the flack between Metro. Methodios and the OCA.  I sure hope we have one this year.  Enough is enough, already.

[Andrew21091]

In my city, there is a pan-Orthodox Vespers with all the Orthodox Churches in the city which is a very nice service. It is held at a different church every year so each of the churches gets to host it.

I kind of wish we did the anathemas. I think the only time those were done was when the service was at the Russian church.

[katherine 2001]

We don't have a pan-Orthodox service where I live, as we are the only Orthodox church here (though our parish is very pan-Orthodox).  In my parish, everyone brings the icon of their patron saint and we do a procession with everyone carrying icons.   

[Eugenio]

At churches I've attended, EVERYBODY who has brought an icon processes - not just the children. Of course, the children are in the front, but lots of "grownups" process in a long line behind them. 

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