The Holy Orthodox Catholic Church |
This page was last updated on: November 26, 2001
The Society of Saint Basil Established 1927 Chartered 1936 Archbishop Ignatius (Nicholls) SSB, First Superior 1934-1937 Bishop Alexander (Turner) SSB, Second Superior 1937-1972 Archbishop Francis (Forbes) SSB, Third & Present Superior 1972- |
Canonically established in 1927 with the blessing of St Tikhon, the Patriarch of Moscow, and by the authority of the Holy Synod of All Russia. In 1932 the Holy Synod of Brooklyn (constituted in 1921) - Archbishop Aftimios (Ofiesh) with suffragan BIshops Joseph (Zuk) and Sophronios (Bashara), with the tomos of Bishop Emmanuel (Abohatab), consecrated Fr Ignatius Nicholls as the first canonical Orthodox Bishop for the Western Rite. On the advice of the Synod, and Archbishop Theofan (Stylian Noli) of the Albanian Orthodox Church, Archbishop Aftimios, as the ruling canonical hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Archdiocese of Brooklyn, granted autonomy to the Western Rite jurisdiction. By an agreement between the Phanar and the Locum Tenens of the Moscow Patriarchate, the Archdiocese of Brooklyn was transferred to the control of the Syrian Orthodox Church in 1933 after Archbishop Aftimios' retirement. In 1935 the Patriarchate of Moscow re-established a diocese in New York - The Metropolia, who later broke with Moscow, only to return to the fold. In 1970 Moscow granted autocephaly to the Metropolia as the Orthodox Church of America. The Society of St Basil, or Basilian Fathers, is an Orthodox Brotherhood of clerks and laymen dedicated to witnessing to Holy Orthodoxy in the Western Rite. Although established earlier, the Society began their mission in 1934 led by Archbishop Ignatius until his retirement in 1937. The Society was chartered by the New York legislature in 1936. Bishop Alexander (Turner) SSB was appointed the Superior in 1937, he was also sometime Vicar for the Western Rite in the Antiochene Orthodox Church in America from 1958 until his death in 1972. Fr Francis (Forbes) SSB, a Basilian since 1951, and a priest in the Orthodox Church of Antioch since 1959, succeeded Bishop Alexander as the third and present Superior. He was consecrated Bishop of Nashville in 1974, and raised to the Archepiscopate in 1977. Archbishop Francis in 1995 established a vicariate for the Asia-Pacific region. |
The Holy Martyr Tikhon (Belavin) Patriarch of Moscow. Assasinated 1925 |
Archbishop Aftimios (Ofiesh) of Brooklyn. Reposed 1966 |
Archbishop John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco. Reposed 1966 |
CHAMPIONS OF WESTERN RITE ORTHODOXY |
Saint Basil's House Basilian Fathers' Community 717 Flinders Street, Mission to Seafarers, Docklands, Melbourne Fr Peter (Edwards) SSB, 'Abbot' Tel: +61 3 9629 2644 |
Holy Cross Mission St Nicholas' House, 966 Sydney Road, Coburg Fr Nicholas SSB Tel: +61 3 9355 5155 |
Melbourne Mission to Seafarers Orthodox Mariners' Outreach Ministry Fr Peter (Edwards) SSB, Facilitator |
Orthodox Churches, Missions and Ministries in Asia and Oceania |
Alexander Turner Institute for Western Orthodoxy *Resources *Information *Education Colloquia First Tuesday of each month after Vespers; Every third Wednesday afternoon following Sext St Basil's House |
The Holy Thorn of Glastonbury |
Publishing Orthodox literature for Western readers: Hagiographies, Histories, Printed Icons and Tracts |
The Orthodox Western Rite In 1870 the Holy Synod of All Russia approved and authorized for Western Orthodox, the most ancient Mass of St Gregory - so called as Pope Gregory the Great (540-604) canonized the form of the venerable Roman liturgy of St Peter, as received by Popes Leo the Great (d.461) and Gelasius (d.496). Fundamentally the form of the Western Catholic Rite remained the same until the council of Trent (1570). In 1904, Archbishop Tikhon (Belavin) of North America and Alaska petitioned the Holy Synod of St Petersburg for their opinion on the American Episcopalian Prayer Book (basically the same as the Book of Common Prayer of 1662 as prescribed for the Anglican Church). Their comments were published in 1904 and 1907. Some material was considered too protestant, although the Collects were especially remarked upon for their prosaic beauty and sound theology. Likewise Coverdale's metrical translation of the Psalms was recommended as the most appropriate English version. The Use of Sarum, that it is in the manner of how the Liturgy is offered, is peculiar to Britain. It was for many centuries before the protestant revolution the 'official' liturgy of England and the Celtic lands. It's origins somewhat cloudy - nevertheless it is the old Roman Liturgy which was used throughout the West. The earliest extant Celtic missals: the Stowe, Lorrha, Bobbio and Deer are merely variants; the earliest surviving pre-schism (1054) Sarum Missals: St Osmund, and Jumieges, preserve some of the rubrics which are markedly different from the continental Western Rite. For instance: (1) The Oblation is prepared prior to the Liturgy, like the Prothesis. (2) Before entering the Sanctuary, a station is made at the Rood where the Bedes are bidden - in otherwords - a Litany. (3) The Kyries are troped. (4) The Oblation is solemnly brought to the Altar from the Table of Oblation (or called Bethlehem in Sarum terminology) before the Gospel. (5) The Proclamation of the Gospel is made in procession. (6) On important feasts the Great Litany of St Mark is said. |
St Joseph of Arimathea, Enlightener of the Britons |
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St Peter's Mariners' Church The Divine Hours: 09:00; 12:00; 18:00; 21:30 Daily The Divine Liturgy: 11:00 Sundays; 18:00 Holy Days |
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St Nicholas of Myra, Patron Saint of Mariners |
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The Holy Martyrs of the Boxer Rebellion, Imperial China, 1900AD. |
St Paul Mitrophanes, Hieromartyr of Beijing, China, 1900AD. |
