Categories: orthodox-life
Date: 12 August 2004 01:34:11
James asked if I was exploring Greek Orthodoxy and if I was Greek in a comment
I am of English and Swedish stock [thank you forefathers for the easy-to-burn whiter-than-white skin which is ever so helpful in Australia ;-)] and have a strong aversion to olives, so most Greek friends have disowned me. ;-)
I am part of a parish that is under the jurisdiction of the Antiochian Archdiocese of Australia and New Zealand, which in turn belongs to the Orthodox Christian Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East. The Greek Orthodox [and Russians, Serbians, etc] are under a different Patriarchate, although (I am led to believe) the liturgy employed and doctrine believed between churches is similar.
My parish is actually a "mission" parish, set up to not only spread the Orthodox faith in Sydney in English, but to provide a place for Orthodox persons who want a service entirely in English (most other churches have an English service, but the main services are in the mother tongue of the Orthodox Patriarchate the church is under). We have a great number of parishioners both from other denominations and other Orthodox Patriarchates, most of whom have made their home in our parish as they want to understand the faith and they want their children to understand the faith -- and English is the language they understand best.
I have encountered no trouble at all in my explorations of Orthodoxy due to the fact I am not Lebanese, Greek, Russian, or whatever. People I have met in a wide range of churches and functions have been extremely welcoming and interested as to why I am looking into Orthodoxy.
I hope that provides some information about Orthodoxy, and the particular expression of it I'm exploring. Feel free to fire questions at me anytime, and I'll try my best to give an answer.