A Starter for a Conversation About the ROCOR
During this half an hour we talked about: the historical reasons why ROCOR clergy rarely well get paid, the difference in hair and beard styles in the ROC and ROCOR clergy (!) white or red vestments for Pascha? and a lot more!
1. Red vs White vestments at Pascha. When I was with the Greek church back in the early 1970’s, the proistaminos would start the Paschal Matins wearing white vestments but would change to red vestments when the Liturgy began
2. The OCA and the ROCOR: my Chicago experience: I started transitioning from the Greeks to the Metropolia in 1969. In 1970 the Metropolia became the OCA. In Chicago I would attend the OCA Cathedral of Holy Trinity (designed by Louis Sullivan). There is only one ROCOR church in Chicago, Holy Protection.
The OCA of the 1970’s-1980’s was made up of mostly “Little Russians.” Many of the parishes had been converted from the Uniates following St Alexei Toth’s efforts. At Holy Trinity there only were a few of whom could be called “Great Russians.” Now, however, the parish make-up of the various OCA churches in the Chicagoland area is a mixed bag: converts in great numbers, refugees from the Greeks like myself, as well as increasing number of younger people from Russia herself.
Church Slavonic is heard only at two churches. One, St Joseph’s, having two Liturgies: an all English and an all Slavonic one, while St George’s has a mixture of English and Slavonic.
Unfortunately, the ROCOR Cathedral is located in Des Plaines, not far from O’Hare Airport, but one needs a car to attend. Even with a car, the drive in non-rush hour from my house would be close to an hour.
There is cooperation and goodwill among the OCA, the ROCOR, and the Serbian hierarchs. +Paul of the OCA has hosted at least one gettogether of the hiearchs to get to know one another and to discuss areas of parish life. Maybe Met Nathaniel of the GOA also attended?
It will be interesting to see what happens for the Sunday of Orthodoxy evening service.
Another comment: Clergy Salary
I have been told that the ROCOR pays her priests a minimal salary. I have heard comments: “We pay our priests poorly to keep them humble.”
For whatever reason for this pay situation, it is abominable!
Gone are the days when our parishes were filled with factory workers, coal miners, etc. The Chicago parishes, of whatever jurisdiction, are filled with parishioners who, in general, are in the same economic egg basket.
There are GOA and OCA parishes whose priests are paid in excess of $100,000.00.
If we pay our physical doctors to keep us from harm and to cure us when illness strikes, how much more should we pay our spiritual doctors to guard over our souls and heal them when we suffer spiritual shipwreck?
That is very interesting. I wonder why deacons to this day are either underpaid or not paid at all. I would love to serve as a deacon, but I would not enjoy having to choose between work and church. I would have to have flexible hours, remote work, or an understanding boss to make things work.